BBC Report from the front: If Kharkiv falls, all of Ukraine falls.

[Tomconroy]

On the front line: If Kharkiv falls, all of Ukraine falls
Published9 hours ago
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Russia-Ukraine war
Lieutenant Yevgen Gromadsky
Image caption,
Lieutenant Yevgen Gromadsky
In the early days of the invasion, Kharkiv in eastern Ukraine fought back a Russian armoured column. Since then, it has suffered nightly Russian airstrikes and shelling, with dozens of civilians killed and hundreds injured. The BBC's Quentin Sommerville and cameraman Darren Conway have spent the week with the Ukrainian forces as they fight to stop a further Russian advance.

This report contains material some viewers will find disturbing

The first casualty of war is time. Ask the young soldier at the front when the attack happened, or the old lady in the hospital bed when her home was shelled, and they look at you confused. Was it 24 hours ago, or 48? The days have become one, they tell you.

In Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, time is elastic. It's close to the border with Russia and the nightly shelling from Russian artillery and warplanes gives no rest. The past two weeks have seemed like an eternity, yet peace can be remembered as if it were yesterday.

In a frozen landscape on the city's north-eastern edge, 21-year-old Lieutenant Yevgen Gromadsky stands with hands outstretched. There are trenches dug in nearby. "Outgoing," he says, lifting his right hand to accompany the thump of fire from his positions. "Incoming," he says, and his left hand ticks up. With a crump, Russian shells are fired from their positions 900m away across snow-covered fields.

The shelling continues like clockwork at the edge of this bombed-out village - "Incoming, outgoing, incoming, outgoing," Lt Gromadsky flicks his hands with each report.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-60693166

[I_UndergroundPanther]

1. Is there a link to the story?

Or was your post the whole story?

[Tomconroy]

2. Just added link.

[uponit7771]

3. Unnn, ... no, that's a stretch

[2naSalit]

4. +1

[Haggis 4 Breakfast]

6. I'm not so sure it is.

This city is being BLITZED every single night. Nothing is left standing. Bomb craters are everywhere. Nearly all of the buildings have been reduced to rubble. People have fled and the city is deserted.

If there's nothing left for the Ukrainians there, what does that bode for Kiev ?

[uponit7771]

7. In WWII when com lines were fixed locations that meant a lot now command can be effective

... ANYWHERE on the planet with encrypted satellite communications.

Are you talking about Kharkiv?

[Haggis 4 Breakfast]

8. Sorry, yes I was.

The BBC reports were so grim. It's hard to see how this does not spread north to Kiev.

And now that putin is bringing in Syrians (to fight because his army doesn't want to kill Ukrainians), who have no loyalties to Ukrainians, this could go so rapidly downhill.

[Haggis 4 Breakfast]

9. Just read that Russian forces are within NINE miles of Kiev.

[uponit7771]

12. They've been that distance before...

[Haggis 4 Breakfast]

14. And your point would be WHAT ?

[enki23]

5. It's a bravado quote from a defender of Kharkiv. The jackass headline writer used it as clickbait.

.

[maxsolomon]

11. That's what Enki23 said.

it was a quote from a fighter that was used as the headline. The excerpted content didn't say that at all.

[Kaleva]

13. The title at the linked site doesn't match the title of the OP

I know this isn't LBN but why is that?