The second-biggest city in Ukraine, Kharkiv, is 30 kilometers from the Russian border. Under siege by Russian troops for more than six months, the city suffered major damage but never fell. Russians are amassing troops across the border once more. Ballistic missiles hit the city more often, and Kharkiv is reinforcing its defense lines. Residents say they’re prepared for a new invasion, but the past haunts the future of its residents.
In War-Torn Kharkiv, Residents Brace for Uncertain Future
- By Yan Boechat
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A soldier patrols the forest around Kharkiv, where the Ukrainian army created a series of defensive lines, Feb. 17, 2023.
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A dummy used by the Ukrainian forces to fool Russian snipers stands in Saltivka, a residential district in Kharkiv hit hard by the Russian artillery, Feb. 15, 2023.
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The residential district of Saltivka was the one most damaged during the Russian siege of Kharkiv, where dozens of buildings now sit empty, Feb. 17, 2023.
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A man passes by a crater created when a missile hit a parking lot in Saltivka, a residential district of Kharkiv, Feb. 15, 2023.