Russia seeks to compel Ukrainians to leave Kharkiv - Bloomberg
Illustrative photo (getty images)
The intensified Russian attacks on Kharkiv are a way to force residents to evacuate, as the Kremlin does not currently have enough forces to advance on the city to capture it, Bloomberg reports.
The Kremlin's recent actions to destroy energy infrastructure look like coordinated efforts to create conditions that make Kharkiv uninhabitable, the agency writes, citing unnamed Ukrainian and Western officials.
The Russians are taking advantage of the moment when Ukraine lacks artillery ammunition and missiles for air defense.
The article mentions that the Russians recently tried to spread disinformation about the evacuation of Kharkiv residents due to the possibility of the city being surrounded to spread panic.
Ukrainian Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko said that "almost all" local electricity generation was destroyed during Russian strikes, which is why "winter will be a challenge for us."
According to the agency's sources, US President Joe Biden's administration has been discussing how to help Kharkiv with the energy sector.
At the same time, almost no one predicts that Kremlin forces will be able to capture the city shortly, the article says. Officials around President Volodymyr Zelenskyy believe that Russia does not have enough resources to launch a major offensive, which is why it is trying to create a sense of panic.
American and other Western officials agree that Russia cannot attack Kharkiv without a significant replenishment of Russian troops, the agency writes.
At the same time, Russia aims to mobilize at least 250,000 Russians in 2024. According to Western officials, the goal of Russian President Vladimir Putin remains the complete seizure of Ukraine.
Russia has recently been intensively shelling Kharkiv, trying to destroy its energy infrastructure.
For example, on April 11, two thermal power plants and a transformer substation in the Kharkiv region stopped working as a result of the Russian attack. One of these thermal power plants supplied Kharkiv.
The city is experiencing problems with electricity, water supply, and public transportation.
Meanwhile, the Russians are spreading disinformation about the evacuation of Kharkiv residents due to the possibility of the city being surrounded.
However, in March, the forced evacuation of families with children from 18 settlements of the Velykoburlutska and Vilkhuvatska communities in the Kharkiv region began. Now it is planned to forcefully evacuate families with children from 47 settlements near the border with Russia.
Zelenskyy does not rule out a large-scale Russian offensive on Kharkiv, as was the case at the beginning of the full-scale invasion in 2022, but he says Ukraine is ready to prevent these plans.
