Ukraine, Russia War: Kharkiv, a Ukrainian city that escaped Russian occupation but did not surrender

source
In the early days of the attack, Kharkiv pushed back a Russian contingent in eastern Ukraine. Since then, Russian bombardment of the city has continued overnight, killing dozens of civilians and injuring hundreds.

The BBC's Quentin Somerville and cameraman Darren Kone have spent a week here with the Ukrainian army.

The first thing that is lost in war is time. Ask a young soldier on the front when the attack took place or ask an old woman in a hospital when their house was bombed. 24 hours or 48 ... They will say that day and night have become one.

Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, is unpredictable. It is close to the Russian border and the Russian bombing does not stop there. The last two weeks now seem like an unending period while the memory of peace is like yesterday.

In the snow-covered city, 21-year-old Lieutenant Eugene Gromadsky stands guard. Trenches have been dug nearby. "Russian bombs are being fired from a distance of 900 meters from here.

Russia-Ukraine conflict: What effect could this war have on your life? Send us your questions

The bombing here is like the movement of the hands of a clock. Every once in a while a voice is heard saying, "Incoming (ie coming) or Outgoing (ie going)."

We met Eugene just this afternoon, but I know that his father, Oleg, was killed defending the city last week.

Eugene is the seventh in a family to serve in the military. He plans to join the army in his eighth generation in an independent Ukraine.

Describing the fighting so far, he said, "Terrorist groups tell the enemy our position. Our tanks fight directly. We hit them with mortars and then the tanks bombed our location. "

Use of white flags
We are moving from one front to the other in the front lines. In his armored vehicle, Eugene hangs a Russian military cap as a reward. "If we retaliate with anti-tank missiles, then we have conventional small arms," ​​he said. They come down and run. They always have a lot of people. "

Inside the truck are air fresheners for the Day of the Dead celebrations in Mexico. The skulls on it shake.

"We sometimes use white flags," says Lt. Yukin from the front seat. When we wave it, they come closer to us. When we get close, we make them prisoners of war and then they try to fire on our soldiers. "

Eugene's position was attacked on Monday (or maybe Eugene doesn't remember exactly before). "Don't worry, we're ready," he said, referring to the American-made Lockheed Martin anti-tank missiles.

Nearby are British state-of-the-art light anti-tank missiles. The company that makes them claims on Saab's website that it destroys state-of-the-art tanks.

It's very cold here and two dogs are playing near Lieutenant Eugene's feet. Tugan is wearing Puma company joggers. "You have to run fast here," he says.

Ukraine is still on the defensive in this war. His government is being criticized for being unprepared and forcing it to move to the front lines.

Civilian defense forces are being added to the general army. In one corner of the city, I saw new soldiers arriving on buses.

One of them asks, "Where is my body armor?" Another officer shouts, "I'll see you later."

Some lieutenants will join Eugene's unit, including a doctor named Rapper. The rapper says, "You must have heard the name of Graeme Rapper (Angel of Death)!" The same doctor is also responsible for the defense of this village. Many homes here have been destroyed by Russian shelling.

I asked the rapper how the Russians were fighting. "The Russians fight like stupid animals," he says. They fight like 1941. They can't turn fast. Only their troops come forward. They have a lot of people, a lot of tanks, a lot of vehicles but we are fighting for our land and we are saving our families. It doesn't matter how they move. We are fighting like lions and they will not win.

There is a coffee shop behind this field kitchen. The army cook is wearing a hat. He gives me a cup of hot borscht and says, 'Eat it with sour cream!' I have cakes and biscuits made by a local factory.

I was sitting with Sergei, a 30-year-old battalion commander. "We see the enemy, we kill the enemy," he says. There is no communication. 'They ask me where I am from. When I told them, they started asking if it was true that British soldiers did not come as volunteers. At the end of the shower, he asks which planes you guys have given us.