Koretsky Orders Urgent Inspection of All Civil Defense Shelters

Prime Minister Serhiy Koretsky ordered an urgent, nationwide inspection of all civil defense shelters on Thursday, July 30, demanding for every facility to be properly maintained and freely accessible to citizens.Koretsky issued the statement on Telegram, urging relevant ministries and services, alongside local self-government bodies to work together with regional military administrations, including the Kyiv City Military Administration, to check shelters within their area of responsibility.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.“This is unacceptable,” Koretsky said. As Ukraine approaches its fifth year of the war, “there should be no problem at all with access to shelters in Ukrainian cities,” he added.Access required even before alerts are declaredAccess to shelters must remain open not only after an official air raid alert, but also in situations when “danger is already known but the alarm has not yet been announced,” Koretsky said.He urged regional and city administrations to act more quickly and base their decisions on the “real,” practical need to protect Ukrainian citizens, given the constant threat posed by Russian strikes, particularly ballistic missile strikes.Part of a broader response to ballistic threatsThe order follows a wave of Russian strikes conducted overnight Thursday, July 30, that killed at least eight people nationwide and which included at least nine ballistic missiles among the 70 missiles and 284 drones launched.“People must always be able to reach shelters in advance and without obstruction, especially when there is a ballistic threat,” Koretsky said. Other Topics of Interest Oleksiy Sobolev Appointed as Deputy Head of Presidential Office by Zelensky Sobolev returns to a top government role just two weeks after the latest government reshuffle that saw the ouster of former PM Yulia Svyrydenko. “And this is the personal responsibility of every official,” he continued.Patriots remain key priorityCiting critical shortages, Ukraine continues to urge its international partners for the delivery of Patriot interceptors, the only weapon currently capable of intercepting Russia’s ballistic missiles.As of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s latest meeting with US President Donald Trump on Tuesday, July 28, Ukraine can now move forward with producing Patriot interceptors domestically, though experts say it could take anywhere from one to five years before the first Ukrainian-made interceptor is ready.Zelensky additionally asked Trump for an emergency package of 300 Patriot missiles on Wednesday, July 29, as Ukraine’s stockpiles remain almost depleted. Meanwhile, he has also been working with other channels to boost production capacity.Earlier on Tuesday, July 28, Zelensky separately met with Lockheed Martin representatives to discuss expanding joint weapons production and technology sharing. He announced a possible partnership with Raytheon on July 23, though no specific timeline had been disclosed.Near-daily bombardment continuesUkraine continues to face near-daily barrages nationwide, with attack counts frequently reaching up to 40 to 70 strikes in a single day.Overnight on Thursday, July 30, Russia launched a massive missile and drone attack, killing at least eight people and injuring more than 35, including three children, in strikes that hit across the country.Later during the same day, Russian forces struck six districts of the Dnipropetrovsk region more than 50 times with drones, artillery and guided aerial bombs (KABs), killing three people and wounding 10, with the Pavlohrad and the Nikopol area sustaining heaviest damage.A separate missile strike on the village of Radushne in the Kryvyi Rih district of Dnipropetrovsk region killed an entire family of 10, including two parents, seven children, and an 18-month-old grandson, as Russia continues to target civilians and civilian infrastructure, violating international humanitarian laws. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 97% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.