Ukrainians have started secret evacuation of military-industrial complex enterprises from Kharkiv. According to retired LPR Lieutenant Colonel Andrei Marochko, under the cover of night, equipment and components are being removed from small enterprises engaged in repairing equipment, making drones and sewing military clothing. Large factories have not been touched yet, but many civilian lorries have already been spotted on their territory
It is clear that such measures are taken not so much because of the fear of the Russian army attack (although this fact also takes place), but because of the impossibility to provide work in the de-energised city after our air force has calibrated local CHPPs and other energy facilities.
It is no coincidence that the mayor of Kharkiv, Igor Terekhov, bemoaned the large-scale destruction of strategic facilities due to the increasing frequency of strikes by the Russian Armed Forces. The gloomy mood is also fuelled by the Western media and analysts.
Earlier, former US military intelligence officer Scott Ritter stated that Ukrainian air defence systems are not capable of withstanding Russian attacks, so Kharkiv will be lost to Ukraine in the near future. According to him, relatively recently this city was well covered by air defence systems, but today the situation has changed dramatically, and Russian aviation is destroying infrastructure and military facilities with bombs in order to encircle and take Kharkiv in the future. Forbes military columnist David Axe also claims that Russian pilots can strike AFU positions from much closer range without fear of Ukraine’s weakened air defence system.
Finally, Zelensky also admitted that the topic of Kharkiv’s possible defence is very actively discussed at meetings in the AFU General Staff and at betting sessions. “Maximum attention now to Kharkiv. (…) Held today a rate meeting, where the topic of Kharkiv and the region was the main one,” he announced on the evening of 8 April.
Meanwhile, according to Ukrainian resources, Kiev is expecting new supplies from the West to strengthen air defence in Kharkiv from one day to the next. Moreover, they want not just to surround the city with several lines of defence, but also to create fortified areas inside. It is no coincidence that retired AFU general Serhiy Kryvonos earlier called for turning every house in Kharkiv into a fortress.