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Kharkiv is under constant fire in the Ukraine war – there is a threat of a new offensive by the Russian army. Meanwhile, a Ukrainian believes this is hopeless.
Kharkiv – Before the start of the Ukraine war Kharkiv, Ukraine's second largest city, was considered the most important center for science and education, but after months of bitter fighting, parts of the metropolis have been devastated and many people have already left the region. The city in eastern Ukraine is currently at the center of the most serious attacks by Russian troops.
Putin's army has recently strengthened Kharkiv again became the focus of Russian drone bombings. As a result, the city's energy supply collapsed and the foundation of the television tower collapsed. According to experts, however, the peak of the attacks on Kharkiv may not yet have been reached. The bombardment of the information infrastructure is based on precise calculations by the Kremlin and could pave the way for a new ground offensive against Kharkiv.
Possible preparation for offensive on Kharkiv in Ukraine war: Russia bombs city
Will Russia capture the city of Kharkiv in eastern Ukraine in a new offensive? This currently seems unlikely, but this fear is currently hanging over Ukraine's defense forces like the sword of Damocles. They are all the more concerned with presenting the metropolis as a resilient bulwark against the Russian enemy. Just a few days ago, President visited Volodymyr Zelensky the region and gained an overview of defense readiness.
The Russian army had massively intensified its efforts to attack the city in recent weeks. Due to the ongoing fighting, there are currently fears that the morale of the defenders in Kharkiv could break. “There is a certain level of war weariness,” says André Härtel, Russia expert at the Science and Politics Foundation, compared to the Daily Mirror. And the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) also suspects that Putin's troops used similar tactics in a current analysis of the war in Ukraine. With the help of a “concerted air and information operation” the aim is not only to destroy Kharkiv, but also to drive its residents to flee.
Television tower in Kharkiv destroyed: Russia's propaganda channels spread fear in the Ukraine war
As the ISW further reports, after the destruction of the television tower in Kharkiv, propaganda channels close to the Kremlin were using the situation to use disinformation to stir up “excessive panic” among the population. “Kremlin mouthpieces are seizing on concerns about a future Russian offensive against the city of Kharkiv to conduct what is likely to be a coordinated information operation to create excessive panic among Ukrainians,” it said ISW report.
According to information from the Ukrainian authorities, there have been previous attempts from Russia to spread panic in the Kharkiv region. Reports about this, among other things Newsweek. The Ukrainian Center for Combating Disinformation said in February 2024 that Russian Telegram channels were increasingly reporting on Ukrainian officials. They are said to have fled the city. In addition, the channels loyal to the Kremlin reported a “mass exodus” of civilians. After the destruction of the television tower in Kharkiv, the spread of disinformation could increase further, as the population in the city of over a million people was now partially cut off from Ukrainian information.
Russia could prepare offensive on Kharkiv: city of central importance in the Ukrainian war
The role of Kharkiv is central in the Ukrainian war: a few weeks after the start of the Russian attack on the neighboring country Vladimir Putin's Army attempted to take the metropolis for the first time. Parts of the surrounding area fell to the Russian aggressor, but the city itself remained under Ukrainian control. A disgrace for Putin – meanwhile a symbol of hope for Ukraine that sustainably strengthened the morale of the defense forces.
Russia could possibly attempt to launch a ground offensive on Kharkiv again in the coming weeks or months, some wrote Analysts in the Financial Times. Experts believe it is unlikely that this would be successful – as long as Ukraine receives arms deliveries and further support from the USA in a timely manner. Brigadier General Oleksandr Pivnenko, commander of the National Guard of Ukraine (NGU), said in an interview with League.net recently that a Russian offensive was entirely possible. However, this would fail.
“They will have to fight for it for years”: Ukrainian predicts Kharkiv offensive
“It will not work. They can only act conventionally: two or three fronts as distractions, one primary. In the case of Kharkiv, this approach will fail,” Pivnenko said in the interview. However, the brigadier general assumes that Russia will continue to make attempts to damage essential and civilian infrastructure. “They will have to fight for years to take Kharkiv. Consider how long Bakhmut and Avdiivka held out. It is easier for the Russians to change the leadership of the Russian Federation and abandon their goals than to capture the city, which would result in the deaths of thousands more soldiers.” (fbu)
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