In the early hours of Thursday, April 11, the residents of Kharkiv were startled by the sound of explosions. Rocket after rocket hits. According to Governor Oleh Synyehubov, more than ten projectiles hit Ukraine’s second city. Critical infrastructure is damaged, more than 200,000 people lose electricity, but the governor considers himself fortunate that he does not have to report any casualties this time.
“I’m sitting in my bathroom,” writes Kharkiv resident Kate Bohoeslavska during the attack on X. Each explosion shakes the walls of her house. The bathroom, a room without windows, is the safest place for now. Meanwhile, she sees on the internet that more missiles and drones are on their way. “I am bracing myself and hoping that the attack will not affect me, my parents, my friends or family.”
Attacks like this are an everyday occurrence in Ukraine. Not only on the front line, the war has also flared up in the Ukrainian interior in recent months. The Russian military began its large-scale airstrikes on Ukrainian cities and critical infrastructure in October 2022, but the threat has increased sharply since the end of last year, an analysis by de Volkskrant of figures published daily by the Ukrainian army.
