Explosions, anxieties and up to 16 hours without light: how Kharkiv is experiencing attacks by the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (Report)
In addition to saving the battery of the phone, you never know when the electricity will appear in the house again, so constantly listen to, whether the next bomb flies to the city, because the alarm will come later. And will I have time to react in time?! Yes, life in Kharkiv has never been so complicated throughout the Great War. How the city lives during mass shelling and why the Kharkiv residents do not lose faith in the best, in the report of the focus correspondent.
From the end of March 2024, the Russian army has bombed and fired Kharkiv rockets daily. Life in the city literally froze after a massive strike of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation early in the morning of March 22: more than 15 rockets were hit by energy objects. The city was placed in a painting about the post -apocalypse: solid darkness, only cold water flows from the tap, thin, slow, slow stream; Roads and streets are empty and only from a few windows in homes can be seen lights.
Heating in the homes has disappeared, there is still a good gas supply. We immediately stock up on technical and drinking water, because the water spill stops stopped working. The next survival point in Kharkiv extreme conditions is to replenish the battery charge. However, cellular communication is not stable and many operators work with interruptions. You could charge the gadgets in the New Mail branches, but wait in the queue for several hours.
"There is a connection with someone? Please call me only my mom to say that I am alive," - a girl of twenty, with a crying face and trembling hands, begged those who stood in line for charging, for help. She was helped, only her mother did not come out. In the face of total destruction of the Kharkiv energy infrastructure, it continues to live a full life as far as possible: shops, pharmacies, mail, banks and hospitals work. You can charge your phone in almost any store.
Only here you have to move faster than usual without delaying for a long time in the open area, especially in the city center - shelling does not stop. The sounds of working generators everywhere, sometimes can be confused with the sound of a flying bomb - something looks like in this noise. "And I spoke to my wife that they did not buy the generator after the blackout of 2022.
We live next to the crazy immoral neighbor, so we must be prepared for everything," - indignant the seller of a small grocery store, exposing a heavy generator outside. According to him, immediately after the shelling of March 22, there were no rushing in grocery stores, people did not panic or buy everything on the shelves - matches and toilet paper were not bought immediately, as it was in the first days of a full -scale invasion of Russia.
"It's scary, but people are used to difficulty, used to live and fight them. Today, the main thing is that you survived after another attack, and there is light or not is a minor," the seller shares with us. Communication and Internet in Kharkiv are unstable: mobile and cable internet interruptions are a common occurrence. Key stations work on diesel generators and batteries, but these devices do not always cope with huge loads.
Due to the lack of electricity in Kharkiv, the heating season has completed early - March 26. The temperature on the street is close to the summer, in houses without heat supply is quite comfortable. Prolonged shutdown of light influenced the fact that Kharkiv began to spend more time on the street. Parents with children walk on the playgrounds. Surprisingly, right?! "You can get used to everything, try to look for positive moments in events.
There is no electricity - we go to the fresh air immediately. Children spend more time with parents. Time is fading with long Blacks. B is much more difficult, " - saying this, Kharkiv Victoria tries to smile as quietly as possible, but anxiety is read in the eyes. According to her, frequent howls and shelling is not a reason to be afraid and sit at home. The third year of a full -scale war has produced in it the habit of not nervous.
Such a vivid mixing of peaceful and military life is difficult to fit in your head, but in Kharkiv it is possible. The death of people from shelling and simultaneous smiles of couples in love - they are striking to the heart. Sunny April days and good weather are uplifting and helping to cope with difficult conditions. People in the Kharkiv streets really increased. The danger of rocket blows is frightened, but the Russians beat unexpectedly.
On Sunday, April 7, two UMPB D-30 aircraft flew to the central residential area. Improved versions of corrected aircraft have damaged 13 high -rise buildings, private homes, educational establishments, cafes, hostels, hotels and cars in the Shevchenkivskyi district. Five residents were injured, stated in the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor's Office. The second wave of shelling fell into the industrial district-the invaders hit the complexes of the C-300.
It was on this day that we got out with my family at the zoo. Air anxiety. Well, this is not accustomed to Kharkiv, although most often in the city there are explosions and only then heard Serena. This time, a strange hum, like aircraft engines. Explosion. Quite near us. Near the park. I pick up my son and run with my wife to the concrete structure - there is no other shelter here. Another explosion. Stay here or run to the subway? To him ten minutes of course, will we have time? We run.
Already in the subway, among the frightened people, we learn from the statements that we were thrown once again. You will never get used to this, though life still lasts. "And we will return to the park? You promised me the ice cream," - a girl of seven, looks from the bottom up of her frightened mother, standing near the cold wall of the subway. "Well, I promised," the woman replies, trying to calm the trembling hands. Electric transport stop is one of the most important problems for citizens.
Many Kharkiv residents are forced to view routes to get to work. Yes, despite blackout and lack of normal communication, no one has canceled the work. The only land transport in the first days of Blackut were minibuses and buses, but a few days later the trolleybuses were launched. Now on the roads you can often see new trolleybuses with a stock of autonomous strokes up to 50 kilometers. The subway works at intervals of arrival of trains up to 20 minutes. But sometimes the subway stops work.
Last, April 5, the stop lasted one and a half hours. Drivers on the roads are not easy in the dark: traffic lights do not work, and pedestrians do not always cross the road through crossings and in reflective clothing. "I plan to put a large spotlight on the roof of your car, and then you go the city in the dark as if a blind kitten is not visible, and even people have a bad habit of going in an unauthorized place.
There are recommendations: if you go the road in an unlit place and not Special vest - turn the flashlight on your phone and worlds in the direction of cars, " - the driver Andrew tell us. Published by the State Property Center "Kharkivnergo" schedules of electricity supply. Electricity is disconnected to household consumers from 6:00 am. Moreover, periods of shutdowns are uneven and prolonged due to the critical state of the power system.
Officially, the State Company prescribes from April 6 to 10 April the light for seven hours in this mode: from 5:00 am to 12:00, from 8:00 to 15:00, from 12:00 to 19:00, from 13:00 to 20:00, from 17:00 to 0:00. And in some areas - from 16:00 to 23:00. The light is switched off for 11-16 hours daily. It happens that in one area, part of the subscribers is switched off for a long time, and in other homes light is served faster.
The main part of household chores occurs on a late evening - we prepare and erase at night, as soon as light appears in the house. But even at the same time, there is no connection, so it is not always possible to find out about changes in the schedule of electricity. Currently, electricity has been switched on more than 8, 9 and 10 April. The situation is relatively stabilized, there is light at night and early in the morning, in some areas it is turned on after 3:00 pm and late at night.
Strokes of rockets, operated air -labels and drones do not stop, so there may be new damage to energy infrastructure. Energy professionals are forced to disconnect lines for emergency restoration work. We will remind, on April 9, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky was in Kharkiv region and checked the construction of fortifications. The Head of State believes that Russia seeks to displace people from Kharkiv and the region.