Kharkiv Attacked, Zelensky Complains to Biden – 2024-04-25 20:58:38

Ukrainian Army Lieutenant Colonel Serhiy Verbytsky inspects the remains of his SU-24M aircraft on the outskirts of the city of Izyum, Kharkiv Region.(Anatolii STEPANOV / AFP)

A Russian missile attack destroyed half a 240 meter high television tower in Kharkiv, Ukraine. The Russian attack is thought to be part of a deliberate effort to make the city uninhabitable.

This statement was made by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Video footage showed the main mast of a television tower breaking off and falling to the ground in Ukraine’s second largest city.

Kharkiv has also been a major target for Russian missile and drone attacks for weeks. Zelensky stated that he had complained regarding the condition to the President of the United States (US) Joe Biden via telephone. “It is clearly Russia’s intention to make this city uninhabitable,” he was quoted as saying Al Jazeera.

The northeastern city of Kharkiv has a population of 1.3 million and is located just 30 kilometers from the Russian border. The area makes it an easy target for ballistic missiles and other weapons as Ukraine’s air defenses have shrunk.

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Ukraine’s power facilities have been badly damaged since Russia began targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure last month. “Currently there is interference with digital television signals. There were no casualties because workers at the site had taken shelter,” said Kharkiv Governor Oleh Syniehubov.

Ukraine’s Special Communications Service reported the structure of the television tower had been partially damaged by a Kh-59 cruise missile attack. Meanwhile, this device cannot transmit television signals.

Local authorities are working to restore it, in addition to urging Kharkiv city residents to use cable television, online or radio. Russia first attacked the Kharkiv television tower several times in early March 2022, or following they launched their full-scale invasion. (AFP/M-3)

Moscow is stepping up its attacks, while Ukraine lacks air defense capabilities. Kharkiv and the surrounding region experienced the heaviest attacks. (Aljazeera/Cah)