Fighting breaks out in Ukraine’s second largest city, Kharkiv, as conflict enters day 4

Ukraine’s second largest city, Kharkiv, has been overtaken by street fighting which broke out in the city as Russian troops mounted intensive attacks on day four of the Ukraine invasion.

Oleh Synehubov, the Governor of the Kharkiv Regional State Administration, said on Sunday that Russian vehicles entered the city of Kharkiv on Saturday night and urged residents of the eastern city to stay in shelters and not to travel anywhere.

“The Russian enemy’s vehicles advanced into the city of Kharkiv. Including the central part of the city. Warning! Do not leave your shelters!” Governor Synyehubov said in a Facebook post Sunday.

“The Armed Forces of Ukraine are eliminating the enemy. Civilians are asked not to go out in the streets.”

Read also: Britain to send more arms to Ukraine as fight with Russia rages

Ukrainian forces had managed to protect the city and deter Russian troops from entering it for the past three days, but Synehubov said this has now changed, with fighting taking place at the heart of the city.

Kharkiv, with a population of about 1.4 million people, sits less than 20 miles (32 kilometers) south of the Russian border and was approached by Russian forces shortly after the invasion started on Thursday.

By Isaac Dachen…

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now