Artillery fires echo in a neighborhood west of Kharkov that has been under Russian fire for weeks, but the mayor of Ukraine’s second largest city, Igor Terekhov, is barely paying attention.
“The attackers are trying to turn Kharkiv into a pathetic city, similar to the ones in Russia,” he told AFP.
“But they won’t make it,” the 55-year-old mayor, elected last November, just months before Russia invaded Ukraine, promises.
Kharkiv, a predominantly Russian-speaking city located a few tens of kilometers from the border, has been on the front lines since February 24 and has been the scene of intense bombings and clashes.
However, the Russians were never able to occupy this place, as they were withdrawing against the Ukrainian army from mid-April.
However, the city remains the target of intense bombings that take lives every day.
A photo of a shocked father holding the hand of the son of a young teenager killed near a bus stop last week epitomizes the suffering of its residents.
No neighborhood is safe
“We have nine neighborhoods in the city, and they all come under attack at different intensities and at different times. So we can say that nowhere is safe,” summarizes the mayor.
“You’re only safe in shelters and on the subway. But that’s all,” he adds.
By late March, about a third of the city’s population of about 1.4 million before the war had fled west.
The city suffered a brief recession in early May as Russian forces retreated and the main conflict turned to the Battle of Donbass in the east.
At that time, around 2,000 people were returning to Kharkiv every day, shops were reopening and residents were starting to leave their shelters.
However, the truce was short-lived.
According to Igor Terekhov, the number of victims is in the hundreds, but he is not in a position to make a definitive assessment.
“We are facing a genocide against the Ukrainian people and nation,” he denounced.
Estimating the number of homeless people at 150,000, the mayor says about 30% of the city’s homes and apartments have been destroyed.
“101 kindergartens, 110 schools, 53 health facilities and a perinatal center were destroyed,” he said, adding that “many of these infrastructures cannot be rebuilt.”
A few city officials fear an attempt by Russian forces to recapture Kharkov.
“We are ready. Our army is also ready. We will defend our city,” says Terekhov, but admits that he does not know Russia’s intentions.
Despite everything, the mayor does not let him down and recalls his vision for the future and the rebirth of Kharkiv, which will combine the charm of the old city’s buildings with the modernity of a city that attracts tech companies.
“After our victory, there will be a new dynamic in Kharkov and throughout Ukraine,” he says.
“We will have the opportunity to build a new city and a new country,” he concludes.
source: Noticias
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