Ukraine war latest: ‘Because we’re so close, they can use anything against us’ – how Kharkiv defies the enemy | World News

In this weekly series, foreign news reporter Michael Drummond delves into the hidden stories of wartime life in Ukraine. It has been more than four years since the full-scale invasion, but Ukrainians continue to defy Vladimir Putin by maintaining a semblance of normal life. Today we speak to a senior commander responsible for rescuing people from the ruins of bombings in Kharkiv…

“There’s no such thing as a day off,” Oleksii says. 

Just 19 miles from the Russian border, Kharkiv is under constant threat from shelling, drones and missile strikes. 

“The enemy constantly changes its tactics,” Oleksii tells Sky News. He’s deputy head of the State Emergency Service in the Kharkiv region.  

From the moment that news of a strike or incident is called in to the emergency line, to the moment everything is resolved, everything falls under his command. 

One day in 2024 is etched in his memory, he says.  

“During the night we were called out to a person trapped under the rubble. We understood we were in relative safety where we were.  

“Then about 50 seconds later, we were told over the radio that there was a UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) threat and we should start withdrawing everyone.”

There wasn’t anywhere to shelter. Everyone started running in different directions. The drone hit next to their fire engines, killing three of the rescuers. 

This is life in Ukraine’s second-largest city.  

So far this year, the Kharkiv region has suffered more than 3,400 drone strikes and over 1,400 shelling attacks, according to the ACLED conflict monitoring organisation. 

More than 400 civilians have been killed. 

The real figures are likely to be higher. 

So-called “double tap” attacks – where the same location is targeted more than once in quick succession to injure emergency services workers who rush to the scene of the first explosion – are a huge problem, Oleksii says. 

They can be considered war crimes under international law. Moscow routinely denies targeting civilians, but Oleksii says the strikes are “deliberate”. 

“[They are] carried out knowing that emergency response units are already working there, because we often see videos they post on social media, where they conduct reconnaissance, and we can see ourselves working there.” 

Despite his senior position in the State Emergency Service, Oleksii regularly deploys as one of the responders. 

He recalls a deadly incident from June when his team was working at a civilian facility. 

“There was a threat… The personnel were ordered to disperse to shelters, but the perimeter was hit by four missiles.”

Five of his people were killed. 

“Because we border the Russian Federation, and the frontline is very close to us along our border, the biggest threat is unmanned aerial vehicles. These include Lancets, Shaheds and FPV drones. 

“Because we’re so close, they can reach us at any time and they can use absolutely anything against us.” 

At the beginning of the full-scale invasion, many families left Kharkiv but returned later on, he says. 

“People live, open businesses, have children, live their lives and enjoy them because, unfortunately, we’ve got used to living with this.”

Such is the speed with which municipal services clean up after strikes in the city, Oleksii says, someone visiting from the UK “probably wouldn’t immediately realise we’re at war”. 

Emergency service workers in the Kharkiv region have carried out more than 57,000 deployments since the start of 2022, rescuing more than 1,200 people.  

Every day, more than 500 rescuers and 150 vehicles are on duty. At least 16 of them have been killed, while around 100 others have been injured. 

Despite his attempts to persuade her, Oleksii’s wife still lives in the city and has never left. 

Their daughter lives in another city in Ukraine. When he is called out, his wife can only wait for his safe return. 

“She waits at home and monitors her phone, checking when I was last online if I don’t answer. That’s all she can do. 

“As for my parents, I don’t tell them anything. The less they know, the better they sleep.”

In case you missed it, last week we learned how Ukraine’s treasured postal service provides a lifeline for people in frontline towns and villages – despite the huge risks.

Before that, we met a Ukrainian psychologist who helps wounded soldiers who have returned from war, but whose minds may still be at the front: