Who ordered the "Smerch" strikes on Kharkiv? A weekly overview of the front lines.

Two notorious generals, responsible for the destruction of Aleppo in Syria, have been named as suspects in the shelling of Kharkiv. Zelensky commented on the failure of the defense in the Kharkiv region. A differentiated alarm has been active in Kharkiv for a week. The occupying army is transporting civilians from the captured Kupiansk region to Russia. The main events of the war in the Kharkiv region over the week are summarized in the review by the media group "Obyektiv".

Brief overview of the situation at the front

The number of clashes in the Kharkiv region, according to reports from the General Staff, did not significantly increase over the week. Everything happening on the right bank of the Oskil is currently classified by the General Staff as part of the Kharkiv direction. Consequently, the intensity of combat operations in the Kharkiv and Kupiansk directions has somewhat leveled out. A new development in reports was the mention on February 27 of an enemy offensive near Stroeve – a settlement in the Kupiansk area near the border with Russia. Information about the invaders' advance in Topoli was provided by the DeepState project. At the same time, the Institute for the Study of War reported that Ukrainian forces managed to push back the occupiers in the Western area. Konstantin Mashovets, an observer from the "Information Resistance" group, noted that the advance of the Russians on the right bank of the Oskil has slowed down. Over the week of persistent attacks, they managed to advance by one kilometer.

The shelling of Kharkiv has names

The Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office has announced four suspects among Russian officers. The investigation has gathered evidence that the shelling of Kharkiv with cluster munitions during the early days of the full-scale invasion was organized by two Russian generals and two colonels. On just one day – February 28, 2022 – "Smerch" shells killed eight residents of Kharkiv in Alekseevka.

At least two of the four suspects are experienced executioners of civilians, notorious since the destruction of the Syrian city of Aleppo by Russians. A key figure among those charged is Russian Colonel General Alexander Zhuravlev. The second suspect is Zhuravlev's long-time colleague from the Syrian era and his first deputy in the military district, Alexey Zavizion. Before the shelling of Kharkiv, he had already fought in Syria – also during the battles for Aleppo. Prior to that, he participated in two Chechen wars. The other two suspects are Colonel Yevgeny Geraschenko and Colonel Shalva Kuliyev. The former is the commander of the rocket artillery brigade that shelled Kharkiv, while the latter is the deputy chief of staff of the Western Military District. If any of them are caught, they face life imprisonment.

Zelensky commented on the "generals' case"

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky commented at a press conference marking the third anniversary of the full-scale war on the case concerning the failure of the defense in the Kharkiv region. Within this context, suspicions were announced against two generals – Yuri Halushkin and Artur Gorbenko, as well as Colonel Ilya Lapin. In their support, a number of prominent military figures, politicians, and public figures expressed their opinions. The question of whether military personnel can be tried for their actions during wartime sparked broad public discussion.

A differentiated alarm has been implemented in Kharkiv

For the first time, an all-clear signal was given in the city during airstrikes on the Kupiansk region last weekend. By mid-week, the director of the emergency situations department of the city council, Bohdan Gladkyi, noted that the number of alarms in Kharkiv had decreased by 40% compared to the region.

Civilians captured in the Kharkiv region are being taken to Russia

The combat zone on the right bank of the Oskil in Kupiansk is gradually expanding. However, the occupiers have still not managed to achieve their main goal – to transport equipment across the river, reported the commander of the 429th separate drone regiment "Achilles," Yuri Fedorenko. Nevertheless, there are already enough Russian infantry to make life unbearable for local residents who have not evacuated. According to the head of the Kharkiv Regional State Administration, Oleg Synegubov, there is information that Russians are trying to transport the civilian population to Russia.