The Austrian Honorary Consul in Kharkiv, Vsevolod Koschemyako, even in view of the current constant shelling, does not believe that Russia can succeed in completely destroying or capturing his hometown in northeastern Ukraine. The businessman, who founded a volunteer brigade in 2022 to protect his homeland, said this in a phone call on Monday. He wants to see the end of Austria Economic relations with Russia.
“The city has come under very heavy attacks, it seems that Russian terrorists are trying to drive people out of the city and are preparing to attack,” said the Ukrainian agricultural entrepreneur, who has represented Austria in his region as an honorary ambassador since 2016. .
But the people would not leave Khargi and were very anxious to defend their city. According to his estimates, about 500,000 of the 1.5 million people will have left the metropolis after February 24, 2022, but in the meantime about 250,000 people have moved to the city from parts of the more war-torn Kharkiv region. However, as he was informed, some Austrians living in Kharkiv had left the city in the last two years.
Is Russia planning to surround Kharkiv and force it to surrender?
Koshemiako spoke of “multiple impacts” that currently not only target infrastructure, but affect parts of the city that cannot be associated with camps or military production. In particular, he named two bombs that hit some residential buildings in the city center on Sunday. “Something like this actually happens every day,” he said, reporting problems with permanent water and electricity supplies.
“It's very difficult to destroy a city of one and a half million people and it's very difficult to win,” Koshemiako said, referring to current discussions on the matter in Russia's state propaganda. But he thinks Russian troops will now surround Kharki and force him to abandon it. But he was sure that they would not succeed.
Austria can help its city with medical equipment and supplies. “However, the main thing is that Austria must stop cooperating with Russia, regardless of profit,” he said. This would be a great Austrian contribution at the present moment. In addition, many Russians living in Austria must feel that they are also responsible for the current events in Ukraine.
Star writer fights in Ukrainian volunteer battalion
Regarding the “Kartia” volunteer battalion, which he founded in 2022, Koshemiako stressed that it has now been transformed into an official regiment of the Ukrainian National Guard with thousands of soldiers. He has a role outside this military unit and acts as an advisor to the Commander of the National Guard under the Ministry of Interior. “I am helping my friends, brothers and sisters to further expand the brigade and organize everything properly,” he explained.
Koscemiako declined to provide any information Monday about the condition of the soon-to-be most popular member of the squad. After Ukrainian star writer Serhij Zadan After initially discovering the name of the battalion, a play on the words of Kharkiv and the charter, and fundraising, at the end of March he announced that he wanted to join the “Sardija” as a soldier.
The battalion founder said he was not authorized to comment on Zadan's plans. “Serhij helps us – he's my personal friend and he's a friend of the brigade,” Koshemiako said.
