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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Oleg Kristopp, a 53-year-old carpenter, says he routinely wakes up in the middle of the night with nightmares about explosions and artillery fire, Feb. 15, 2023.
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On a quiet Feb. 15, 2023, a young mother strolls with her baby in Saltivka, near what a few months ago was the front line between Ukrainian and Russian forces in Kharkiv.
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Despite being constantly hit by ballistic missiles, life goes on in Kharkiv, the second-largest city in Ukraine, Feb. 15, 2023.
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Alexey Yermack, a Saltivka resident, says he fears for his grandsons if the Russians try to invade Kharkiv again, Feb. 15, 2023.