Russian Bombing of Kharkov Forces Civilians to Evacuate: Bloomberg Reports

With heavy bombing of Ukraine’s second largest city, Russia is trying to force Kyiv to evacuate civilians from Kharkov. Bloomberg reports this regarding Ukrainian and Western officials.

“Kharkov has come under increased control of missiles, drones and heavy guided bombs over the past month. The attack destroyed energy infrastructure and left homes in ruins… the Kremlin’s latest moves appear to be a coordinated effort to cut off supplies and create conditions that will take away the city- big, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity.” – the article says.

It is noted that living conditions in the city are becoming increasingly dangerous, and it will be difficult for the Ukrainian authorities to restore infrastructure before the onset of cold weather next winter, if indeed many of local residents still in town.

The Ukrainian authorities, however, are not ready to give up on the city. Minister of Infrastructure Alexander Kubrakov announced plans to restore and distribute electricity throughout Kharkov and the region, where about 200 thousand residents are still without electricity. He announced this on the X social network.

According to informed sources, the administration of President Joe Biden is talking about how the United States can help Ukraine in this regard.

Almost no one predicts that the Russian Armed Forces will be able to take over Kharkov soon, the group writes. The Armed Forces of Ukraine are strengthening their defenses, and officials close to Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky believe that Russia does not have enough resources for a serious offensive. The United States and other Western officials agree that Russia does not have the ability to attack Kharkiv without a large reinforcement of troops, people familiar with the matter said. So, says Bloomberg, Russia is causing panic.

“The capital of Ukraine for more than ten years when the country was part of the Soviet Union, Kharkov is a key target for Moscow. Putin’s military aims to create a buffer zone in the east of the country, a goal put forward by the Russian leader last month, who said he wants to prevent cross-border attacks on the Belgorod region. Russia has been targeting Kharkov since the operation began, and Putin’s goal of annexing Ukraine as a whole does not appear to have changed since then, Western officials say.