The Battle of Kharkiv is an ongoing military engagement taking place in and around the city of Kharkiv in Ukraine during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.[3][4] Kharkiv, located just 20 miles south of the Russia-Ukraine border, is the second largest city in Ukraine and is considered a major target for the Russian military.[5]
Battle
On 24 February, Russian forces crossed the border and began advancing towards Kharkiv, meeting Ukrainian resistance. The Russians also fired artillery barrages at the city, killing a young boy.[6]
By 25 February, fierce fighting had broken out in the northern suburbs of the city, near the village of Tsyrkuny, where Ukrainian forces were able to hold against the Russians.[7]
On 26 February, Oleh Synyehubov, the Governor of Kharkiv Oblast, claimed that the entire city was under Ukrainian control.[8] American officials stated that the heaviest fighting of the entire conflict was occurring at Kharkiv.[9]
In the early morning of 27 February, Russian forces destroyed a gas pipeline in Kharkiv.[10][11] Later in the morning, Russian forces entered Kharkiv, with Synyehubov stating that heavy fighting was occurring within the city,[12][13] and Ministry of the Interior advisor Anton Gerashchenko claiming street fighting was underway in the city center.[14]
References
^"Archived copy". Archived from the original on 25 February 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2022.((cite web)): CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
^"Archived copy". Archived from the original on 24 February 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2022.((cite web)): CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)