Russian troops are shelling Kharkiv and the region on a daily basis with various types of weapons - attack UAVs, missiles, guided aerial bombs, etc. Residents are forced to constantly react to air raid alarms and stay in shelters. Civilian objects, critical infrastructure, and residential buildings have been destroyed by shelling. In view of these factors, Russian propaganda has created and is actively spreading another fake - the mass exodus of residents from Kharkiv.
A “TRIBUN” journalist found out about the situation in Kharkiv, how people live in a state of war, whether they are really leaving the city, and how local authorities are responding to the "loud" Russian propaganda statements.
Kharkiv region under daily shelling
Russian troops are not abandoning their plans to capture Kharkiv region with its administrative center. Their goal is to lay out favorable logistics routes and occupy as much territory as possible with further advancement. As a result, active fighting in the Kupyansk sector and shelling of settlements in the region continues daily.
Mayor of Kharkiv Ihor Terekhov daily informs residents of the missile threat, informs about the consequences of Russian strikes on the city, and makes comments to Ukrainian media on the current situation.
The Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor's Office also records the destruction and reports on the victims. For example, on April 7, 2024, their official Telegram channel published photos of the aftermath of another Russian attack on Kharkiv and Kupiansk. And on April 10, 2024, they showed how the region suffered from Russian strikes.
The Russian side does not deny the information, but rather confirms its involvement in the shelling of Kharkiv and the region.
Russian manipulation about people leaving Kharkiv
Since April 2, 2024, the occupiers have been spreading videos of traffic jams, which are supposed to show that Kharkiv residents are leaving the city en masse. They also note that "the Russian Armed Forces have completely suppressed the air defense of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, which makes it possible to strike the city with heavy bombs."
However, this video is not true.During the “United News” telethon on April 2, 2024, mayor of Kharkiv Ihor Terekhov said that the footage shown was from the year 2022, when people were actually leaving the city at the beginning of the full-scale invasion. But now there is no mass exodus.
Despite this, the Russians continued to publish their own propagandа. For example, on April 5, 2024, the following news appeared on the Russian information portal Lenta.ru: "The DPR announced the flight of civilians from Kharkiv". The main message was: "The Armed Forces of Ukraine are preparing Kharkiv for hostilities, which is why civilians are fleeing the city in panic".
Already on April 6, 2024, Russian journalists wrote on the same website that "Residents of Kharkiv are moving to Dnipro en masse due to constant power outages."
Kharkiv residents quickly responded to Russian propaganda and filmed a video rebuttal, which was shared on social media. The footage shows how the city actually "lives", the situation, the free movement of people, the absence of panic and everyday life.
"As for the departure of city residents, no one is leaving. There is no mass exodus at all. It's all the Russian psychological operation. There is currently no need to evacuate the residents. There is no panic. The city is working. There are problems with the energy sector, but we are trying to solve them," Deputy Mayor of Kharkiv Igor Reznik told “TRIBUN”.
So, Russian troops continue to shell Kharkiv. The locals are adapting to the circumstances, uniting, but they are not going to leave their hometown.
Written by: Yulia Kanzeba
