In Ukraine, fighting continues, particularly in the northeast of the country, where Russia launched a new offensive near Kharkiv 15 days ago. If the country’s second city never fell into the hands of the Russians, the inhabitants of the surrounding villages and neighborhoods on the outskirts remember the violent fighting in the first months of the war. As the city entrenches itself again, they watch with apprehension as the front line draws nearer.
2 mins
With our special correspondents in Kharkiv, Nathanël Vittrant And Bertrand Haekler
In Kharkiv region, the fighting in recent days has been concentrated in villages 25-30 kilometers further to the northeast. The Russian army has not yet broken through Ukrainian defense linesbut the offensive caused the Ukrainians to hastily dig trenches all along the route.
Just behind these trenches is the Saltivka-North district. Here, the buildings still bear the scars of the violent fighting that took place here at the very beginning of the war. The buildings are also blackened by the impact marks of the shells which fell in the surrounding area.
“ She refuses to leave her house and leave »
A retired couple, Olga and Valerii, are in the process of filling in these holes which are damaging the facade of their building. “ There in the garden there was a walnut tree », describes Valerii. “ A very tall tree! », Adds his wife. “ He went up to the 7th floor… “, but ” Russian bombs destroyed him too… », specifies Olga.
“ So, of course we are afraid that it will start again. But I don’t understand what the Russians want. When they have destroyed everything here, killed everyone, what will be left? A desert ? And after ? », laments the elderly man.
At the foot of a building, Sofia, 19, is waiting to go see her grandmother who lives here. “ She refuses to leave her house and go away, that worries me. Do the trenches reassure me? What difference will that make to the missiles and rockets coming at us? It’s not going to change anything », says the young woman.
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