Russia has been attacking the eastern Ukrainian city for weeks. The most recent example: the destroyed television tower. An invasion is also feared.

The winner is Putin's propaganda: the rubble of the Kharkiv television tower destroyed by Russia Photo: Madiyevskyy Vyacheslav/Ukrinform/imago

Kharkiv taz | The metropolis of Kharkiv, in eastern Ukraine, is one of the cities in the country most threatened by Russian aggression. Russian President Vladimir Putin appears to be pursuing the goal of turning Kharkiv into a ruined city. The demolition on Monday of the 240-meter-high civilian television tower is an example of this: a Russian cruise missile hit the tower, which is not far from the city center, and destroyed the structure and large part of the telecommunications equipment. Photos and videos show how the upper half of the tower collapses and smoke rises.

For weeks, the Russian military has been working to make life as difficult as possible in the large city, which was home to 1.4 million people before Moscow's war of aggression. Following a rocket attack on March 22, the Kharkiv region's power supply remains disrupted, there is no hot water in the city, and classes in schools and universities have become virtually impossible.

Due to the destruction of the television tower, a part of the Kharkiv region will also have problems accessing information: there is no longer any digital or analogue television within a 40 kilometer radius. The area north of Kharkiv and its surroundings, which had already been the focus of Russian attacks days before, is mainly affected. These are mainly the villages located on the front line, where Russian propaganda is trying to disrupt the reception of all Ukrainian radio and television signals.

The Russians long ago installed powerful repeater stations on the border with the Kharkiv region and began broadcasting their programs on the same frequencies as the Ukrainians. And since the Russians have more powerful and expensive antennas, the chances of receiving Ukrainian channels in the north of the Kharkiv region are practically zero. This leaves Ukrainians there with only one source of information: Russian propaganda.

Lavrov speaks of a “demilitarized zone”

In parallel with the battle for the information sector in Kharkiv, the Russian armed forces are apparently preparing a new wave of attacks from the Belgorod area. The Russian Federation is already officially establishing the “North” troop unit on the border with Ukraine. According to various reports, it already has about 50,000 soldiers, and the number will increase progressively. Experts believe that at least 150,000 soldiers will be needed to invade Kharkiv. It is conceivable that this new troop formation was created precisely with this intention.

It is fitting that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov recently spoke openly for the first time in a radio interview about the goal of establishing a “demilitarized protection zone” in the Kharkiv region, an area where hostilities will continue. permanently and in what is possible because the People will hardly be able to lead a normal life.

The US Institute for the Study of War also concludes in a latest assessment that Russia could be planning a ground attack on the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv. Currently, the Kremlin conducts air missions and collects information to destroy the city and expel the Ukrainians, the think tank writes. New aid from Western partners expected in the coming weeks could lead Russia to step up its attacks.

Most are willing to defend the city themselves.

In his evening video message on Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj once again called for more international help to defend against Russian airstrikes. Kharkiv and other Ukrainian cities especially need America's Patriot anti-aircraft systems, he emphasized. Germany recently agreed to deliver at least one more Patriot system. Kyiv hopes other countries will follow its example.

The residents of Kharkiv, accustomed to constant bombing, are following the vote in the US on granting financial and military aid to Ukraine with relatively little interest. Now they are quite skeptical of the statements of Ukrainian and foreign politicians. Most of Kharkiv's inhabitants are willing to defend their city alone.

Oleg, a Ukrainian soldier from Kharkiv, says that in the event of a new invasion attempt by the Russian armed forces, many of his acquaintances currently fighting in sectors of the front in the south and east of the country will be transferred to Kharkiv. – so that they can build their homes against which the Russians themselves can defend. Many civilians in Kharkiv feel the same way. Everyone would have the greatest motivation to defend the city, says Oleg.

Translated from Russian: Gaby Coldewey