The incursion into Kharkov, reported by the regional governor, suggested the city could soon fall, allowing Russian forces to push south. Citizens on social network reported sporadic gunfire and street fighting. Earlier, Sputnik news reported that Ukraine’s 302nd Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment surrendered in Kharkov Region.
Russian troops entered Kharkov in Ukraine’s north-east at about 8am on Sunday, an adviser to Ukraine’s interior minister and other officials said. It is the country’s second-largest city.
Russian troops have also made advances near Mariupol, a city on the Sea of Azov, and were reported to be turning north, in what seemed to be an effort to encircle Ukrainian forces positioned along the line of contact in the long-running war against separatists in Donbass.
Russian Troops Have Captured Kharkov. The Ukrainian Army Has Completely Collapsed and Is Not Offering Any Resistance to the Peacekeepers!” residents of Kharkov reported on telegram (below):
By The Pepe Report:
In a statement on his official Telegram account, Anton Gerashchenko said there was fighting in the centre of the city and in the area of the Hydropark.
“A group of special forces of the Russian Federation has just burst into the city through Alekseevka. On the street,” Gerashchenko said.
Oleg Sinegubov, the chairman of the Kharkov regional state administration, announced “there has been a breakthrough of light vehicles including in the central part of the city”, according to the Kyiv Independent.
Russians have entered Kharkiv. Street battles audible pic.twitter.com/JX1eZfCe9h
— Roland Oliphant (@RolandOliphant) February 27, 2022
The fighting on the streets of Kharkov began in early hours of February 27 reports South Front
Fighting in the Karkov outskirts lasted for almost the whole night. The head of the Kharkov Regional State Administration confirmed that Russian troops broke through the defense of the city. Kharkov police officials confirmed that numerous Russian groups have broken into the city.
On February 27, the Ministry of Defense Ministry reported that the 302nd anti-aircraft missile Regiment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, equipped with Buk M-1 air defense systems, voluntarily laid down their weapons and surrendered in the Kharkov region. 471 Ukrainian servicemen were detained.
First footage from the city showed small groups of Russian soldiers on Tiger armored vehicles moving on the streets of the city. These were reconnaissance groups who were tasked to discover the locations of Ukrainian military equipment which had been deployed in the residential areas in advance. Russian infantry was already spotted on the outskirts of the city.
The UAF use civilian buildings as a human shield.
Click to see full-size image
Clashes with small groups were not avoided. Fighting were mainly reported in the center of the city, in the northern and north-eastern regions. An explosion was heard in the West of the city.
Ukrainian MLRS are shelling the center of Kharkov from the western outskirts, from the village Lubotin.
Residents were asked not to leave their shelters. Unfortunately, judging by the quantity of videos made in the city, a lot of civilians stay in their appartements and have no place to hide. No evacuation from the city was organized during the last week.
While the blood thread begins in the Ukrainian cities, Zelenskiy refuses to launch negotiations. The more victims there are during the Russian operation, the harder the response from the West and the blow to the Russian economy will be. Zelenskiy is also waiting until the uncontrolled nationalist units of the Ukrainian paramilitary groups suffer more losses, as they pose the main threat to the current Kiev’s regime, and this threat will significantly grow after the military escalation decrease.