The war in Ukraine continues to heat up: In a Telegram post this weekend, Valentyn Reznichenko, the head of the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Military Organization, confirmed that Russian forces launched a strike on two areas within the region.
The Ukrainian official confirmed that Russian troops used Grad multiple-launch rocket systems to fire around 30 rockets onto the city, resulting in a 69-year-old civilian being sent to the hospital.
“A tense night of enemy attacks,” Reznichenko’s post reads. “The Russian army again shelled two areas – Nikopol and Kryvyi Rih. Thrice covered Nikopolsky with fire.”
The Ukrainian official said that 20 rockets targeted Nikopol, with nine multi-storey buildings and eight private houses impacted by the strikes, along with a school and multiple ships.
“The shelling affected gas pipelines and power lines,” the Ukrainian official continued. It left thousands of Nikopol residents without any light or power. No casualties were recorded.
In Kryvyi Rih, around a dozen private houses were affected by the strike and the power grid was “mutilated” by the rockets. Reznichenko also said that the Zelenodolsk community in Kryvyi Rih came under fire from Russians.
In the Kryvyi Rih district, the Zelenodolsk community came under fire from enemy Hurricanes, referring to BM-27 Uragan self-propelled multiple rocket launchers.
Reznichenko’s Telegram post also included photographs of the damage caused to residential buildings by the rockets, showing private houses with destroyed brickwork, collapsed roofs, and some buildings completely flattened to the ground.
Strikes Intensified This Month
Russian strikes in the central and eastern Ukrainian region have intensified over the last month as Russia seeks to expand its control over Ukraine’s east. Following Russia’s successful campaign to take control over Luhansk Oblast, troops have focused their efforts on the city of Nikopol and surrounding towns and villages.
On August 8, Russian forces launched more than 120 rockets in one night at the city of Nikopol. The strikes were also confirmed by Valentyn Reznichenko, who revealed on Telegram how Grad rocket systems destroyed several residential buildings, workshops, administrative buildings, and vehicles belonging to local businesses.
On August 10, Russian forces used 80 more Grad rockets in fresh strikes against residential areas. In Marhanets, over 20 high-rise residential buildings were struck by Russian rockets, as well as the Palace of Culture, the Center for Cultural Affairs, two schools, and a city council building.
Russian forces also appear to be repositioning in the region. Vitalii Kim, the head of the Mykolaiv Oblast Military Administration, revealed on Telegram that the military leadership of Russian forces in southern Ukraine recently moved their posts to the eastern bank of the Dnipro River. It could indicate that Russia expects greater pushback from Ukrainian forces.
BM-21 Grad Rockets. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
Russian troops fire rocket artillery during an exercise at the Luga training ground (Leningrad region), dedicated to Missile Troops and Artillery. Photo: Konstantin Morozov / mil.ru
“I feel just a bit sorry – but not much – for the stupid orcs who had been abandoned on the right bank of Dnipro,” Kim said. “All of the commanders are moving to the other side of Dnipro.”
Jack Buckby is a British author, counter-extremism researcher, and journalist based in New York. Reporting on the U.K., Europe, and the U.S., he works to analyze and understand left-wing and right-wing radicalization, and reports on Western governments’ approaches to the pressing issues of today. His books and research papers explore these themes and propose pragmatic solutions to our increasingly polarized society.
