Relentless attacks: Why Russia strikes Ukraine's Kharkiv daily and how tactics evolved
Photo: Attacks on Kharkiv have intensified (Getty Images)
Kharkiv is going through perhaps its most difficult period since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion. Since the beginning of the month, Russia has not stopped attacking the city for a single day: on April 2 and 3 alone, the strikes continued nonstop for two days.
Why has Russia targeted Kharkiv, and does this signal a shift from large-scale shelling to exhausting localized strikes? RBC-Ukraine asks Oleksandr Musiienko, a serviceman with the Territorial Defense Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and a military expert.
Kharliv under daily Russian attacks
Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov emphasizes that the current series of attacks is the most intense since the beginning of the year.
Russia is acting brutally and treacherously, employing combined tactics, ballistic missiles, and various types of drones are flying over the city.
Photo: aftermath of a Russian strike on a residential complex in central Kharkiv on April 2 (Getty Images)
On April 2, Russia struck Kharkiv with rocket-powered drones for the first time, continuing to terrorize residential neighborhoods with this weapon.
The most cynical aspect is the targeted fire on civilian objects. Today, April 6, a camera captured the moment a Russian drone struck the top floor of a high-rise building.
Photo: On April 6, a high-rise building in Kharkiv was targeted by a Russian rocket-powered drone (t.me/ihor_terekhov)
As a result of today’s Russian strikes in the city, at least 5 people were injured.
Russia changed tactics and wants to study air defense
According to expert Oleksandr Musiienko, the intensification of attacks on Kharkiv indicates that Russia has somewhat altered its tactics. Russians are attempting to study how Ukraine’s small-scale air defense is evolving.
Currently, Ukraine is prioritizing the defense of frontline and border cities by implementing new solutions. In particular, critical infrastructure facilities (including those in Kharkiv) are already receiving permits to use their own anti-drone systems to shoot down Russian drones.
However, in addition to reconnaissance, the expert says, Russia is also pursuing an overtly terrorist objective.
"They are not abandoning their goals of inflicting as many casualties and as much destruction as possible, rendering cities as uninhabitable as possible, provoking a wave of population displacement, and causing economic damage," Musiienko notes.
Due to its geographical proximity to the border, Kharkiv remains vulnerable to large numbers of drones and other weapons that reach their targets more quickly.
First jet drones attacks on Kharkiv. What does this mean
In addition, the expert explains the purpose of Russian jet drones appearing over the city. Although the Russians use them in smaller numbers than conventional Shaheds, they pose new challenges for Ukrainian air defense.
The main difference of a jet drone is its significantly higher flight speed compared to a conventional Shahed. This reduces the air defense reaction time and makes interception by mobile fire groups more difficult. However, Russia pays for this speed with a limited range.
Such unmanned aerial vehicles are unable to reach the western regions of Ukraine. Nevertheless, they are extremely dangerous for areas near the border or the front line.
Musiienko emphasizes that the daily terror in Kharkiv does not mean that Russia has abandoned its plans to attack central or western Ukraine. Russia’s intentions to launch large-scale strikes across the entire territory of Ukraine remain unchanged, so Ukraine must not let its guard down.
