According to Ukrainian authorities, at least 18 people have died in Russia’s attacks on Kharkov today. Firing has also continued in the capital, Kiev.
Russia continued the bombing of the million-strong city of Kharkov on Tuesday by firing on government buildings in the city center. Russian rockets have also hit residential buildings and the city’s opera house has been damaged.
Both cruise missiles and rockets have apparently been used in the attacks on Kharkov.
– There were violent bombings in the morning and a new air alarm came during the day, says a 46-year-old teacher who has been reached from the bombed city Roman.
“Fear of death in people”
– People are afraid of dying. There are civilian casualties here, but I don’t think Russia gets control of the country this way, Roman says.
We agreed not to use his last name for security reasons.
The telephone connection to Kharkov is poor and is interrupted in between. It may be because Roman is sheltered with his family and friends in the basement of a residential building during the interview.
Kharkov, with a population of over 1.4 million, has been described as one of the most important technology centers in Ukraine. It is located only about 40 kilometers from the border with Russia.
Russian attackers are on the move around the city, but Roman says the city is not yet besieged.
Problems with electricity and water – there is food
Electricity and water distribution is broken in some blocks, but in the district where Roman has electricity and water distribution operates. According to him, there does not seem to be a shortage of food in the city at this stage.
– Kharkov has now opposed the Russians for six days. I believe the attackers are angry and that is why Russian troops have fired on civilian targets since yesterday.
– They imagined that the population would receive them with open arms, but it was different, Roman describes the situation.
Russia seems to have used cluster munitions
Based on videos from Kharkov, Russia has also used cluster munitions on the outskirts of civilian targets.
Cluster munitions that release smaller explosives into the environment are prohibited under an international agreement.
“Russia’s attack on a one-man war”
– The attackers don’t care about people. This is a one-man war, and he cannot retreat, Roman says, referring to the Russian president Vladimir Putin.
– The Russians do not understand that we do not want to be part of Russia. They may bomb the city, but what are they going to do to the population? Are they going to kill everyone?
Roman and his family have not yet decided whether to stay in the city or try to leave for safety. But many have already left.
– My friends who left, called and told me they got out of town. But it also feels dangerous.
Firing also continues in Kiev
According to the Ukrainian Ministry of the Interior, Russia struck the Kiev television tower at about 6 pm Finnish time. before that, it had issued a warning to Kiev residents saying it was preparing to strike targets in the city center.
Foreign editor of the Ukrainian television channel ICTV Nataly Lutsenko told by telephone before the television tower attack on Tuesday morning that the night between Monday and Tuesday had been difficult on the outskirts of Kiev.
– Russia struck everything possible around Kiev until four or five in the morning, Lutsenko says.
Lutsenko said he had not been in contact for a couple of days with his relatives who live in the attacked village of Borodyanka near Kiev.
Lutsenko spent the night in a bomb shelter, like other nights since last Thursday. According to Lutsenko, the situation in Kiev has been difficult in previous days. Even on ordinary trade trips, Lutsenko has heard firefights between Ukrainian forces and Russian sabotage groups a few blocks away.
– You have to run into the bomb shelter ten times in a couple of hours. Air alarms sound all the time, Lutsenko says.
– For example, my mother has made a shelter for her toilet, and she also has a blanket ready in the basement of her house. People get food so that something is left until the next day.
Volunteer food and medicine for fighters
Kiev is approached by a 65-kilometer-long Russian military column. According to Ukraine, Russia is trying to besiege Kiev, as well as other major cities such as Kharkov.
According to Lutsenko, people are anxious, but at the same time the will to fight and confidence in the armed forces and the president Volodymyr to Zelensky is strong.
– I can’t complain because we have bomb shelters where we sleep. Then we work, protect ourselves in between, and do our work again. We have things better than those who are fighting.
According to Lutsenko, the will to fight is reflected in the fact that people offer their help according to their abilities. According to Lutsenko, several prepare food for volunteer soldiers, and those skilled in medicine offer their help. The open restaurants also bake for those in need.
According to Lutsenko, store shelves have been emptied of groceries. They keep their doors open for only a few hours a day. However, according to Lutsenko, there is no shortage of food and water so far.
“I love my city, I’m not going to leave”
Lutsenko says there are still a lot of people at the train stations. According to him, at the moment it would be most dangerous to leave the city, even if the trains go to western Ukraine.
Lutsenko fears that Russian troops could strike the trains either intentionally or accidentally.
– Russia’s activities have no borders, Lutsenko says.
Lutsenko himself is not going to leave Kiev. He believes Ukrainian troops will quickly destroy a military colony approaching the capital.
– I’m going to keep working. I will do my best to cover what is happening here. I love my city and I’m not going to leave.
From the international community, Lutsenko hopes for more sanctions that would also be imposed on Belarus. According to Ukraine (switch to another service) Belarusian troops joined Russia in the attack on Tuesday.
– The actions in Belarus are just as creepy as in Russia. They are involved in this crime.
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