The Russian leadership and propagandists demonstrate a "deep animosity" towards Kharkiv and its residents, as ten years ago, the scenario of declaring a "people's republic" in the city failed. This was stated by Ukraine's permanent representative to the UN, Sergiy Kyslytsya, at a Security Council meeting on Friday.
The diplomat reminded that at that time, buses with Russian "tourists" from the Belgorod region of the Russian Federation were arriving en masse in Kharkiv.
"They were assigned the role of 'local protesters' who were supposed to be the driving force for separating Kharkiv from the rest of Ukraine. These attempts were repelled by both the Ukrainian authorities and the local residents, and the conflict that Russia managed to ignite in Donbas was successfully prevented in Kharkiv," Kyslytsya emphasized.
He expressed the opinion that this caused deep animosity towards the city and its residents both within the Russian leadership and among propagandists. In particular, quotes from their publicly declared plans to "wipe Kharkiv off the face of the earth" were cited at the Security Council meeting on April 11. Today, Russia is trying to do just that.
The proximity to the Russian border - only 30 kilometers away - makes Kharkiv vulnerable not only to long-range missile strikes and drones but also to guided air bombs, as well as ballistic missiles such as the S-300, Iskanders, and their North Korean analogue, the KN-23, the envoy noted.
"In May, Russian forces launched 76 air strikes on Kharkiv, three times more than in April. The air raid sirens in the city rang for 474 hours and 55 minutes in May. That's 15 hours a day," Kyslytsya emphasized.
He informed members of the Security Council about the recent shelling of Kharkiv and other regions, as well as Ukraine's energy infrastructure.
