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.
