From Kharkiv to Mykolaiv, the Russian onslaught has been fierce, but residents say they will not surrenderRussia-Ukraine war: live newsTen days ago Kharkiv was a flourishing metropolis and home to 1.5 million people. It was, as one resident, Galina Padalko, put it, “a beautiful place”. There were parks, a new German architect-designed zoo, thriving cafes and restaurants, and a monumental central square, once adorned with a statue of Lenin. The city had several universities, international students, a ballet theatre and a cathedral that had withstood the last century’s darkest moments.In a few savage days Kharkiv has been transformed into a living hell. Many of the city’s inhabitants are currently sheltering underground in basements, metro stations, and ground-floor corridors. Russian forces have relentlessly bombarded the city this week, pulverising apartment blocks and other civilian targets and threatening to turn Kharkiv into a new Aleppo, which also faced Russian bombing, or Guernica. It has borne the brunt of Vladimir Putin’s rage. Continue reading…
From Kharkiv to Mykolaiv, the Russian onslaught has been fierce, but residents say they will not surrender
Ten days ago Kharkiv was a flourishing metropolis and home to 1.5 million people. It was, as one resident, Galina Padalko, put it, “a beautiful place”. There were parks, a new German architect-designed zoo, thriving cafes and restaurants, and a monumental central square, once adorned with a statue of Lenin. The city had several universities, international students, a ballet theatre and a cathedral that had withstood the last century’s darkest moments.
In a few savage days Kharkiv has been transformed into a living hell. Many of the city’s inhabitants are currently sheltering underground in basements, metro stations, and ground-floor corridors. Russian forces have relentlessly bombarded the city this week, pulverising apartment blocks and other civilian targets and threatening to turn Kharkiv into a new Aleppo, which also faced Russian bombing, or Guernica. It has borne the brunt of Vladimir Putin’s rage.