Without US help, Kharkov risks becoming a “second Aleppo”

Kharkov risks becoming a “second Aleppo” if American congressmen do not agree on a new package of military assistance to Ukraine, the mayor of the city, Igor Terekhov, said in an interview with The Guardian.

He stressed that the country needs air defense capabilities amid an increase in the number of Russian missile attacks. Terekhov pointed to changes in the tactics of Russian troops who are trying to destroy the power supply to Kharkov.

The mayor of the country's second largest city said a $60 billion US military aid package stalled in Congress is "critical" for Ukraine.

“We need this support to prevent Kharkov from becoming a second Aleppo,” Terekhov said, referring to the Syrian city destroyed by bombing by Russian and Syrian government forces at the height of the country’s civil war a decade ago.

Domestic political tensions in the United States, exacerbated by the war in Gaza and the upcoming presidential elections, have been preventing Congress from passing a unified aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan for months.

Following Iran's attack on Israel over the weekend, Republicans proposed considering a country-by-country support bill.

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky said on Tuesday that Iranian-developed Shahed drones used by Russia are “the same in Europe and the Middle East.” Speaking about the level of Western support for Israel during the attack on Iran, the Ukrainian leader emphasized: “European skies could have received the same level of protection long ago if Ukraine had received similar full support from its partners in intercepting drones and missiles.”

Meanwhile, Russian troops continue to gradually advance along the front line in eastern Ukraine. Analysts, including experts from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), directly link this to the delay in American aid.

Fearing a possible Russian offensive in the Kharkov direction, analysts warn that without replenishing the deficit in air defense and artillery, Ukraine will not be able to hold its borders.

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