Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has advised the nearly 100,000 residents who’ve fled Kharkiv in recent months not to return yet. “I don’t think Kharkiv is so protected at the moment,” he said.
The mass exodus has taken place as near-daily bombs and drone attacks pound this eastern city, only 18 miles from the Russian border, as the war enters its third year. Damage estimates total over $27 billion; 22,000 buildings reduced to rubble. And the war continues.
Ukrainian security analyst Maria Avdeeva is among the Kharkiv residents who did not leave the region. Host Robin Young talks to Avdeeva about life in Kharkiv and the next phases of war.
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
Copyright 2024 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.