As Russia’s assault on Ukraine enters its fifth week, Kharkiv’s governor, Oleh Synehubov, has given an indication of the toll it is taking on the city and surrounding areas.
Synehubov reported there had been 44 shellings from artillery, tanks and mortars, as well as 140 multiple-launch rocket attacks in the northeastern region of Ukraine, over the course of the last day.
“This is what we call a stable situation,” he said on Thursday.
On Wednesday, Kharkiv officials reported some 998 residential buildings had been damaged or destroyed since the start of Russia’s offensive.
Synehubov’s comments also included a reminder of the importance of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet to Putin’s offensive against Ukraine’s key cities.
The center of Kharkiv — which lies about 310 miles (500km) from the sea — was struck overnight by cruise missiles fired from Russian warships, Synehubov reported.
His comments come as Russian forces are becoming more active in the eastern part of Ukraine in the Donbas area, saying they’ve “applied a lot more energy” in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions, the two areas the Kremlin declared as independent republics ahead of last month’s invasion.
