Russia destroyed more than 1,500 buildings in Kharkiv since the start of the invasion

Russian troops have destroyed 15 percent of homes in Kharkiv, in northeastern Ukraine, as reported by its mayor, Ihor Terkehov, during a television marathon reported by Ukrainian agency Ukrinform

“Over the past 35 days, a total of 1,531 buildings were destroyed in the city of Kharkiv, including 1,292 residential houses. The Russian army destroyed 76 secondary schools, 54 kindergartens, 16 hospitals. A total of 239 administrative buildings are in ruins,” said Terekhov.

The city of Kharkiv, close to the Russian border, has been under continuous daily bombardment since the beginning of the Russian invasion, which celebrated its thirty-sixth day this Thursday. According to the agency, about a third of local residents have already left the city.

Already last March 22, the press service of the Kharkiv City Council reported that almost a thousand buildings had been destroyed, of which almost 800 residential buildings had been destroyed, and that the situation was already difficult.

The city council then reported that the shelling of residential areas did not stop and that the work of the debris and the work of the volunteers were ongoing.

THAT'S HOW CHERNIGOV IS

For its part, the NGO Human Rights Watch (HRW) reported that civilians in the northern city of Chernigov need access to basic services, humanitarian aid and safe evacuations.

“Civilians in Chernigov have been trapped in a cascading crisis for days without access to basic services and no means of escape, all while living under the constant threat of Russian attacks,” said Human Rights Watch crisis and conflict researcher Richard Weir.

He stressed that “Russian forces, together with Ukrainian forces, must take the necessary measures to allow civilians to leave the city safely if they so desire and ensure that the basic needs of remaining civilians are met.”

The NGO explained in a statement that, since March 24, Russian forces have besieged the city, controlling almost all accesses to it and attacking the bridge that provided the last remaining access route to enter and leave the town.

The conditions in Chernigov, where the evacuation of wounded persons and children were prevented, as well as the distribution of humanitarian goods to the population, are similar to those in the port city of Mariupol, in the south-east of the country, where residents do not have access to basic services, according to the organization.

(With information from EFE)

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