In Kharkiv, Ukraine, there is a highway that circles the city just like Interstate 275 in Cincinnati. That's where the Russian tanks were on Thursday, only a few miles from the city's center.
Last week, The Enquirer interviewed a number of Kharkiv residents. They were hopeful that diplomacy would prevail and a conflict would be averted, but a lot has changed in a week. On Thursday, they woke to the sound of explosions and gunfire, they reported.
What we know:Why is Russia invading Ukraine? Could it be the start of WWIII?
People in Kharkiv know Cincinnati due to our 30-year sister city relationship. Artwork made by Cincinnati children is on display at an exhibition in Kharkiv this week. Hundreds of people have traveled between the two cities over the years. A delegation from Kharkiv was scheduled to visit Ohio next month.
After Russian forces moved into Ukraine Thursday morning on multiple fronts, Kharkiv was a target. It's the second-largest city in the country, an inland river metropolis of about 1.5 million people with a strong manufacturing and technology industry as well as several high-ranking universities.
Here are some dispatches from Kharkiv residents, many who are familiar with Cincinnati having visited before:
Valeriy Bakumenko is a 70-year-old teacher and one of the founders of the sister city partnership.
Woken up at 5 a.m. by grad missiles. The (Russians) are 5 km away. Fighting is going on on Kharkiv circular road. Four Russian tanks destroyed. Two young privates, just children, taken prisoners. Everything is working, but had to queue for fuel for an hour.
We left our apartment on the 9th story to stay in our friends' private house. They are in Slovakia and now are unable to come back. The situation is extremely serious, but we believe everything will be OK.
Grad missiles are 122 mm rockets, typically mounted in stacks of tubes on trucks. In addition to this report, Bakumenko said his colleagues have reported that nearby airfields have been bombed and that the city's mayor, Ihor Terekhov, is "with the people." There are some who believe Terekhov to be Pro-Russian.
Nadia Klymyshyna is an English teacher and translator and has visited Cincinnati and chaperoned Wyoming High School students in Kharkiv.
It is not a good morning, but we are staying at home. Everything works - electricity, internet, transport, shops.
The center of the city looks and feels the same, there were sounds of explosions in the morning but we didn't see anything and don't know much.
We are getting the news that our army is stopping the invasion. But no details.
Lots of people are withdrawing money from banks and buying a lot of food. We hope for the best but (are) ready for anything.
I hope the international community will do their best to stop Putin. Our army is protecting us, but we need help from all over the world to stop this devil.
Andriy Klymyshyna, Nadia's husband
Well, at about 5 a.m. I heard sounds of war. Explosion. But not near. Somewhere at the edge of the city. I did not know what to think and what to do. I decided to wait and checked Facebook for information. Didn’t find any. Later, some info started to come. In about two hours I knew that Russia had attacked our military infrastructure and attacked the border, from Belarus also.
Lots of people try(ing) to move out of the city. People try(ing) to store some food and water. We are trying to stay calm and get proven information of what is actually going on.
No panic on the streets.
We need, I think, some international help. Now. Sanctions. Armor. Demonstrations at Russian embassies. I don’t know.
Putin has threatened the whole world not to interfere, but if the world stays aside, Putin will come to it too.
Denys Tkachov has visited Cincinnati before and was planning to come again on March 13 with his wife and son.
We were told that the Russian troops started shelling the military infrastructure in our region and all other regions bordering with Russia and Belarus.
The missile attacks (were) done all over Ukraine, aiming (for) military stock houses, airports, and air defense.
My colleagues and friends from different regions reported Russian troops and heavy military vehicles (including tanks) to cross the borderline. Some of the settlements are already seized.
It's a full-scale invasion by bloody Russians. My family and I are still in Kharkiv fully ready to leave once we have such an opportunity. For the time being, the roads from Kharkiv are blocked by a (large) number of those who are leaving the city. For nowhere...
But we do not panic. We need some time to learn the plans of the invaders.
These accounts were edited for length and clarity.
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