Saturday, March 29, 2025
In the early hours of Friday, residents of Kharkiv were once again forced to seek shelter as a Russian drone struck a disused soap factory, sending shockwaves across the city. Yuliia Verbytska, along with her two teenage sons, took refuge behind concrete walls as sirens blared and explosions shook the night.
“We have no shelters in our building. We just sit together behind walls and hope for the best,” Verbytska said. The latest strike came only hours after former U.S. President Donald Trump issued a rare public appeal to Vladimir Putin to halt the violence. Despite international calls for calm, Russia’s aerial bombardment continued unabated.
The attack on Kharkiv followed a devastating wave of strikes that killed 12 people in Kyiv and surrounding areas on Thursday. Locals expressed frustration, noting that Trump’s public rebuke — simply reading “Vladimir, STOP” — had no apparent impact on Russian military actions.
At the Heart of Kharkiv charity, where Verbytska volunteers, the damage was extensive. Concrete debris was scattered across donated clothing and children’s artwork. Miraculously, wheelchairs and pushchairs intended for families in need remained intact. “I no longer trust promises — from Trump or anyone else,” Verbytska admitted.
By Friday morning, emergency teams were still working to contain fires at the 1918-built soap factory. The site, abandoned after bankruptcy last year, was reduced to rubble as firefighters doused smoldering beams and cleared twisted metal.
“The Russians are not just fighting a war; they aim to erase us,” said Anton, a security guard at the factory. He warned against trusting recent U.S. proposals reportedly suggesting Ukraine cede Crimea and parts of Kharkiv to Russia. “Today it’s five oblasts, tomorrow they’ll want five more,” he said.
Although Russian officials insist they are targeting military infrastructure, the majority of casualties remain civilians. In Sumy earlier this month, 35 people — mostly bus passengers — were killed by a missile strike. In Kyiv, two children died after their apartment block collapsed from an explosion.
In Kharkiv’s Slobidsky district, pensioner Liudmyla Hanzii was injured when the factory was hit. Her son, Andriy, recounted how a teenage neighbor pulled her from the debris as shattered glass rained down.
Anatoliy Yaskovets, deputy head of Kharkiv Fire Station No. 6, revealed that Russian forces have adjusted their tactics, now using swarms of drones to target civilian areas repeatedly. “From the time a missile is launched in Belgorod to impact here in Kharkiv, it’s less than a minute,” he said.
Moscow has also deployed drones carrying CS gas and delayed-action grenades, adding new dangers for civilians and first responders alike.
As Russia steps up its assault on northeastern Ukraine, there are growing fears about Kharkiv’s fate. Although Ukrainian forces successfully repelled an initial Russian attempt to seize the city in 2022, recent months have seen Russia reclaim border towns like Vovchansk.
Yaskovets warned that Putin’s ambitions remain extensive. “He wants to take Ukraine’s south and reach the Dnipro River,” he said. However, he added that Russia may lack the manpower needed for such an offensive.
At a petrol station on Kharkiv’s outskirts, soldiers from the Kraken regiment voiced determination to resist. “Putin shows his true face with every bomb,” said Saifula, a member of the unit. Speaking of Trump, he remarked, “He’s not a real leader. The world is laughing.”
Despite fatigue and destruction, Kharkiv’s spirit endures. As one soldier summed it up, “Our only choice is to stay strong and keep fighting
