A month ago, Kharkiv, the second largest city in Ukraine, almost became extinct. Since that time, the Ukrainians managed to repel the Russian army, which gave the population the courage to go out again. Reporter Jeroen de Jaeger and reporter David Jan Godfreud, who were in town a month ago, report that there is more life on the streets again. But the question is for how long. An adviser to the Ukrainian Interior Minister reported today on TV that Russian forces are trying to get close again.
In the area between Kharkov and the Russian border – now controlled by the Ukrainian armed forces – they see this happening. “Within two hours, we hear the sound of artillery fire getting closer and closer,” says de Geiger. “While we were talking to the residents we could hear artillery fire from the front in the background.”
For the residents of the village, there was no reason to leave for now. They have already decided to stay anyway. Of the 7,000 residents, only 500 remain.
This is what their life looks like now:
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