Experts warn of what will happen to Ukraine's 'second capital'
(Baonghean.vn) - Military analyst Jacob Parakilas shared with Newsweek magazine (USA) that, thanks to its location near the border and the weakness of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Russia can control Kharkov in the next few months.
According to RIA Novosti, Newsweek magazine said that Kharkov has a very important symbolic meaning for Ukraine. In early April 2024, President Volodymyr Zelensky called Kharkov "one of the capitals" of Ukraine.
Kharkov is less than 20 miles from the Russian border, so a "slow, but devastating attack" could put Russia in control of the city "within months," said Jacob Parakilas, a military analyst at RAND who studies strategy, policy, and defense capabilities.
According to expert Parakilas, the location near the border with Kharkov gives Russia an advantage in supporting the advancing troops, while Ukrainian forces have been worn down and weakened over time.
The Ukrainian president asserted that Kiev was "doing everything possible" to prevent Russian forces from entering and taking control of Kharkov.
“In case of an attack, can the Ukrainian defense forces defend Kharkov without US military support? Yes, we can!” said Colonel Andriy Zadubinnyi, from Ukraine’s Khortytsia forces operating in the northeast. However, the colonel admitted that this would cost tens of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers’ lives.
In addition to the determination of Ukrainian authorities to defend Kharkiv, there are pressing questions about how long the Ukrainian Armed Forces can hold out in and around Kharkiv, without significant US military support; and whether Russia is determined to seize control of the city.
