Russia seeks to displace millions of residents of Kharkiv, the second largest Ukrainian city, with the aim of controlling the city before the American military aid approved by the US Congress reaches Ukraine.
Sky News quoted the Institute for the Study of War in the United States in an analysis saying that the recent series of attacks launched by the Russian army on Kharkiv is a coordinated air and media operation to destroy the second largest city in the country.
Most recently, on Monday, a Russian missile struck the 250-meter-tall television tower in Kharkiv, breaking it almost in half and stopping broadcasting.
The Institute for the Study of War said in its analysis that Russia is waging a campaign aimed at persuading Ukrainians to flee and internally displacing millions before the offensive, which Russia is believed to begin around June.
The center explained that Russia’s intensification of its strikes and information operations against the Ukrainians in the city of Kharkiv aims to exploit the weakness of the Ukrainian air defenses before the expected military aid reaches the front-line areas.
He added that Russia is working to increase its attacks and attempt to seize Kharkiv before Western aid reaches Ukraine, through air, missile, and drone strikes, with the aim of pushing for a large-scale internal displacement of Ukrainian civilians.
At a time when Congress passed a foreign aid bill that would provide Ukraine with $61 billion, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated: “The maximum damage must be done to everything Russia relies on for terrorism and timely military intervention.”
Shoigu: Ukraine has lost 500,000 soldiers since the beginning of the war
For his part, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said that the losses of the Ukrainian armed forces since the beginning of the Russian military operation amounted to 500,000 soldiers.
Shoigu stated that Russian forces shot down more than 22,000 drones, about 900 military aircraft and helicopters, and intercepted about 6,000 missile launchers and about 1,000 missiles since the beginning of the special military operation.
He also continued that Russian forces are increasing the intensity of attacks on logistical centers in Ukraine and Western weapons storage bases.
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