Published: May 31, 2026 • 5:30 PM IST · Updated: June 1, 2026 • 5:54 AM ISTBy TheBriefWire Editorial Team
Key points
Yet amid the destruction, Ukraine’s second-largest city is doing something that may seem almost impossible during wartime: preparing for a better future.
“We need to rebuild regardless of the war,” says Ihor Terekhov, the city’s mayor, “because if there is no reconstruction there will be only ruins, and those who left will not return.” Kharkiv City Council Kharkiv, once a thriving centre of industry, science, education and culture near Ukraine’s northeastern border, has become one of the country’s most heavily damaged cities since Russia’s full-scale invasion began.
According to Mr. Terekhov, around 13,000 buildings have been damaged or destroyed, including approximately 10,000 residential buildings.
About 160,000 people have lost their homes.
“Every day there is shelling, and it is terrible,” he says.
Published May 31, 2026.
Quick Summary
Yet amid the destruction, Ukraine’s second-largest city is doing something that may seem almost impossible during wartime: preparing for a better future. “We need to
Why It Matters
This development is important because it may impact public opinion, policy decisions, and future developments related to Under fire, Kharkiv is already building for a peaceful tomor.
Key Takeaways
Yet amid the destruction, Ukraine’s second-largest city is doing something that may seem almost impossible during wartime: preparing for a better future.
“We need to rebuild regardless of the war,” says Ihor Terekhov, the city’s mayor, “because if there is no reconstruction there will be only ruins, and those who left will not return.” Kharkiv City Council Kharkiv, once a thriving centre of industry, science, education and culture near Ukraine’s northeastern border, has become one of the country’s most heavily damaged cities since Russia’s full-scale invasion began.
Terekhov, around 13,000 buildings have been damaged or destroyed, including approximately 10,000 residential buildings.
About 160,000 people have lost their homes.
“Every day there is shelling, and it is terrible,” he says.