The Austrian Honorary Consul in Kharkiv, Vsevolod Koschemyako, expressed skepticism about Russia’s ability to completely destroy or conquer his hometown in northeastern Ukraine despite ongoing shelling. In a phone call on Monday, Koschemyako, a businessman who established a volunteer battalion in 2022 to protect Kharkiv, mentioned that he would like to see an end to economic relations between Austria and Russia.
Despite the heavy attacks on the city by Russian forces, Koschemyako noted that the people of Kharkiv were resilient and determined to defend their city. He estimated that out of the 1.5 million inhabitants, around 500,000 had fled after February 24, 2022, but a significant number from the surrounding areas affected by the war had moved to Kharkiv. Although few Austrians were living in the city at the time, they had left within the last two years.
The ongoing attacks were causing significant impacts on the city’s infrastructure and even targeted residential areas. Koschemyako mentioned incidents where bombs hit residential buildings in the city center, causing disruptions to essential services like water and power supply. He acknowledged the difficulty of destroying a city of Kharkiv’s size and expressed confidence that Russian troops would not be successful in conquering it.
To support Kharkiv, Koschemyako suggested that Austria could provide medical equipment and devices. He emphasized the need for Austria to halt cooperation with Russia, regardless of profitability, as a significant contribution to the situation. Koschemyako also called on Russians living in Austria to recognize their responsibility for the events unfolding in Ukraine.
As an advisor to Serhij Zhadan, a prominent Ukrainian author who expressed interest in joining his volunteer battalion “Khartiya,” which has since become an official brigade of the Ukrainian National Guard
