Ukraine issued horror warning over major city falling to Russia as supplies dwindle

Split of Zelensky and Putin

Russia could soon capture Ukraine’s second city in a major coup for the Kremlin even if Kyiv’s weapons shortage woes are stemmed, an expert has warned.

Jacob Parakilas, a research leader for defence strategy, policy and capabilities at the RAND think tank, told Newsweek that even if Ukraine finally gets the weapons it needs, Vladimir Putin’s forces could potentially capture Kharkiv within “months.”

He noted that “a successful assault on Kharkiv would be a major undertaking for Russia,” but stressed it was “not completely out of the question.”

Kharkiv, which had a population of almost two million before the war, is less than 20 miles from the Russian border, and a “slow, grinding attack” could enable Putin’s troops to capture the city in the months ahead, he told the outlet.

Questions persist over how long Ukraine’s forces could hold out in and around Kharkiv if crucial US military assistance continues to stall on Capitol Hill, and if Moscow sets its sights on taking control of the city.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Chernihiv Oblast

In an interview with German news outlet Bild earlier this month, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the city “is one of the capitals of Ukraine, so it has great symbolic meaning.”

He added that Ukraine is “doing everything we can” to stop Russia’s forces from taking it.

Kharkiv’s close proximity to Russian territory means Moscow has the tools to position and support its invading forces better, Parakilas told Newsweek, and Ukraine’s stockpiles of weapons are much more limited than they were last year.

A crucial hurdle to receiving more air defence supplies is the hold-up in Washington of House approval for a U.S. aid package that includes roughly $60 billion for Ukraine. House Speaker Mike Johnson said Sunday he will try to move the package forward this week.

“The exhaustion of U.S.-provided air defences resulting from delays in the resumption of U.S. military assistance to Ukraine combined with improvements in Russian strike tactics have led to increasing effectiveness of the Russian strike campaign in Ukraine,” the Institute for the Study of War said.

Russia’s potential attempt to capture Kharkiv comes with some caveats, Karakilis said. Though Russia may have the initiative on the battlefield, it continues to struggle in its execution of effective combined-arms tactics, often sending its troops into assaults that result in high casualties.

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Russia Continues To Pound Border Areas Of Kharkiv Oblast

“The Russian military can afford to take more losses for longer than the Ukrainians can,” he said told the outlet, but other priorities may mean Putin’s forces are too stretched to launch an assault on the city.

Colonel Andriy Zadubinnyi, a press officer with Ukraine’s Khortytsia grouping of troops operating in northeastern Ukraine, said: “The main efforts of Russian killers are concentrated in Donbas. However, we cannot rule out any options.”

Nonetheless, Kharkiv has come under heavy fire in recent weeks, with strikes targeting the city’s energy infrastructure, and destroying multiple buildings.

“Due to its proximity to the border, Kharkiv region is under regular Russian fire almost every day,” Zadubinnyi told the outlet, adding that attacks were being carried out in order to instill fear among residents of the region.

“The city of Kharkiv itself is shelled by the Russian Federation using guided aerial bombs and missiles of various types.”

Ukrainian have made repeated calls for air-defence systems from Western allies, which Zadubinnyi reiterated, insisting it is “vital for Ukraine to protect the skies over Kharkiv.”