The first thing that catches the eye in Kharkiv is the sheer number of Ukrainian flags lining the streets — there are more here than in Kyiv, the nation's capital. Cars pass by, and old, dusty streetcars rattle along their tracks in Ukraine's second-largest city.
But the calm, peaceful first impression does not last long. First-time visitors soon become aware of the many checkpoints, anti-tank obstacles and demolished buildings — reminders of Russia’s full-scale war in Ukraine, now in its third year, and Kharkiv's place as a city on the frontline.
Daily Russian air attacks
In mid-2024, the city of Kharkiv is like an open wound that Russia continues to pummel with missiles, drones and bombs on a near-daily basis. The cityscape is full of boarded-up windows and destruction, and main streets are lined with houses that are missing at least parts, if not all, of their upper floors.
Nearby, one seriously damaged and burned-out home still holds a remnant of what life must have been like before the war: A friendly sign that reads, "Come in for coffee."
Most of the destruction seen today took place during the first year of the war when Russian armed forces first advanced on Kharkiv's outskirts before being forced to retreat. The ruins of a school there offering advanced German lessons are scars of early 2022 when Russian special units were driven back with heavy machinery. A sign in German and Ukrainian still hangs above the school's former entrance: "Success in learning, success in life."
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It's one of the many schools in Kharkiv have been destroyed.
Shelling 'according to plan'
Many of the city's shops, cafes and bars have reopened, though visitors remain rare. Many buildings have signs indicating they are for sale or to rent. The streets empty out as night falls. The metro only runs until 9:30 p.m., and curfew begins at 11 pm — one hour earlier than in the capital.
Russian shelling usually begins around midnight. Citizens say their city is being attacked systematically and "according to plan."
However, since early June, the shelling has dropped considerably. Most here believe this is due to the fact that the United States and other Western allies permitted Ukraine to fire the weapons they supply at military targets on Russian soil near Ukraine's border.
Western media reported that Ukraine has already done so in the Russian city of Belgorod, where it struck a Russian S-300 air defense battery. Such systems are frequently used to launch missiles.
'Cemetery of Russian rockets'
The remains of these systems can be found at what’s known as the cemetery of Russian rockets. Kharkiv hosts the largest such rocket cemetery in Ukraine with debris from over 1,000 missiles, and it’s garnered international attention. Visitors can see cylinders from Russia’s Smerch (Tornado) and Uragan (Hurricane) multiple rocket launching systems, the S-300 and Iskander missile systems and other weapons Russia employed against the wider Kharkiv region.
Guards keep watch over the grassy repository, allowing entrance only to those accompanied by a representative of the regional district attorney. The estimated 1,000 shells collected here are meant to serve as evidence for Russian atrocities in trials in Ukraine and abroad.
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"All rockets here, including the cruise missiles, cost millions of dollars," Dmytro Chubenko, a spokesperson for Kharkiv’s regional prosecutor’s office, told DW.
He explained that markings and abbreviations found on rocket shells and internal parts could help demonstrate Russia’s hand in constructing and firing the weapons. Chubenko added that these markings also contained encoded information on the model, production plant and military unit where they originated.
Why stay in Kharkiv?
Russia has almost entirely destroyed Kharkiv’s energy infrastructure, prompting people in the city and the surrounding region to rely on diesel generators.
A handful of people, including a few children, are out on the streets, along with some students, apparently preparing to enroll for the upcoming semester. It’s hard to believe the city is home to over a million people, including long-term residents and internally displaced people from the surrounding war zone.
As many of Kharkiv’s men fight on the frontline, the city needs workers. A sign hanging by the entrance to a metro station advertises for train drivers for local transportation. Future employees are enticed by assurances of not being drafted into Ukraine’s armed forces — even though nobody can really make that promise.
Residents of Kharkiv say they have grown accustomed to the aerial attacks, the shelling and the constant threats to their lives. Not many believe Russia’s most recent offensive in the region, which has secured two positions along the frontline for Russian armed forces, will be successful. But they do admit that Ukraine's defensive lines were caught unprepared.
Some say they will stay in Kharkiv to tend to their elderly parents. Others refuse to leave their homes and all the personal effects they’ve gathered over the years. Still, others want to stay and help the Ukrainian armed forces in the region.
One man says he just recently moved to Kharkiv for work.
"I like the people in Kharkiv," he added, "they're special."
At the same time, he admitted that, given the constant Russian bombardment, he wondered if all his colleagues would show up to work each morning.
The woman accompanying him said she had returned to Kharkiv after having fled in 2022. In her view, the largest obstacle that people struggled with these days was mental exhaustion after three years of war.
A US envoy to the United Nations said recent Russian attacks on Kharkiv displaced more than 18,000 and caused at least 400 civilian casualties. A UN monitoring agency in late May said it verified 45 civilian deaths and 189 injuries since Russian armed forces launched a ground offensive into the Kharkiv region on May 10.
Kharkiv's spirit of defiance
Many in Kharkiv will freely admit the city is gripped with fear. But they also say a spirit of defiance keeps people from leaving.
A saleswoman points to the rubble of a demolished building and a nearby street: "We close at 3:30 p.m., and a few days ago, a missile struck there at 4:00 pm"
Kharkiv’s resistance can be found in its manicured parks and clean squares, or on the intricately painted boards on home windows and signs that read "We're at work."
Wherever you look, Kharkiv’s residents have shown they will not give up their city.
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"When a missile strikes, we get down, shake off the dust, and keep going," the saleswoman said.
Her store sells sweets, including boxes of chocolates printed with a panorama of the city, the Ukrainian flag, and the words "Kharkiv — city of heroes."
