Kharkiv is not yet safe enough for residents to return to the city, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said at a press conference with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte on March 1.
"As for the return of Kharkiv residents: you see, I don't think Kharkiv is so protected at the moment that I can advise people to return," Zelensky stated. "This is the choice of Kharkiv residents."
Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, is located in the east of the country, just about 30 kilometers from the Russian border. Due to its proximity to the border with Russia, Kharkiv Oblast and the regional capital have faced near-daily attacks since the start of the full-scale invasion. Part of the region was also occupied in early February 2022 before its liberation in early September.
Last month, a Russian drone struck a gas station in Kharkiv, creating a large fire that engulfed 15 residential homes and killed at least seven people, including three children.
President Zelensky said today that Ukraine's military must not only strengthen air defense in the region but also work to push Russian troops further away from the cities to bring security back to Kharkiv.
"Otherwise, it will be very difficult to fully defend Kharkiv, even if we reinforce it with appropriate modern air defense systems. We are looking for opportunities to strengthen Kharkiv's air defense in any case. This is our task today."
More than 20,000 buildings have been destroyed in Kharkiv since Feb. 24, 2022, according to Ukrainian government figures.
Daria Shulzhenko
