The National Guard of Ukraine told how they are defending Kharkiv.
"It is very difficult to recognize the surrounding area of Kharkiv today. Everything around breathes the war brought here by the so-called "Russian peace". Trees, houses, and fences are cut all over with wreckage. Blast craters are located among empty yards and playgrounds. Once cozy houses are with broken windows, burnt and broken roofs. Occasionally civilian cars pass along the highway. People are running away from mortal danger. Ukrainian soldiers stand like an iron lock on the road to the once peaceful city. They seem to hold an invisible border between the reign of darkness and the world of freedom," - the National Guard said in a statement.
“This is one of the hottest places around Kharkiv. Russian troops are breaking through less secure roads for their columns. In contrast to 2014, it is a pioneer camp compared to the current situation. At that time, the enemy did not use such a powerful weapon. Three bombs weighing 500 kilograms were dropped from the plane at this checkpoint. Despite this, none of the fighters retreated from their positions," - an NGU soldier Vityaz said, who had once passed through Sloviansk and Debaltseve.
He also added that our positions have quite powerful weapons of fire destruction, in particular NLAW. At the same time, an experienced serviceman surprises how easily the Russians send their soldiers for recycling.
"It is unclear what motivates the Russian troops. They go 'on the forehead' without protection. Sometimes they behave as if they were drugged"- he said.
The checkpoint is a general one. Here the guardsmen, territorial defense forces (TDF), and gunsmiths fight for their land. Therefore, here you can see "olive", "pixel", "multicam", and "predator". Conditions are difficult, so the uniform quickly spoils but the uniform brought by volunteers saves. The age of the Kharkiv defenders is from eighteen to seven. They are from all over Ukraine.
On Thursday will be two weeks since we have come here. There was an air raid. The day before we had a new attack. They fired mortars from twelve o'clock to eight o'clock in the evening. We have been in the trenches all day. But we repulse all attacks," - shared NSU serviceman Vitaly. He's a machine gunner and eighteen years old. He only served four months.
"I terrify these demons. I am from Luhansk. I was born and raised there. I was expelled from there, but we will not surrender Kharkiv. I bring them to the rage - here we can show an example of my work. He is lying in the yard,” - a National Guard of Ukraine serviceman Leshiy said. He first got caught in the war in 2014 as part of the Donbas Battalion. The occupiers destroyed his family.
"We are the representatives Armed Forces of Ukraine, we are serving on the surrounding areas of Kharkiv. Together with the National Guard of Ukraine and representatives of territorial defense. We fight together, all Kharkiv. Our boys and girls help from the home front, strengthens our fighting spirit. This is not the first attack to repel the Russian occupiers.The guys have shown courage. We're going to make it. We are stronger than ever. Therefore, they are always ready to fight back against the Russian occupant. We are just waiting for the command to send them to Belgorod," - AFU serviceman Oleksiy Babeshko assured. Just a couple of weeks ago he was involved in politics: he was a deputy of the Kharkiv City Council.
The servicemen say that the enemy does not care at all about the burnt equipment or its victims. Moreover, they do not have documents and identifiers. Why they are looking for an inglorious death on Ukrainian soil is unclear.
The armed forces of Ukraine are defending Kharkiv, are counterattacking in many directions in the region. At the same time, the enemy shelled the Kharkiv region 29 times at night, leaving a third part of the city without gas due to damage to the gas pipeline.