The situation in the Kharkiv area remains difficult: Ukrainian formations are constantly trying to attack. There are about 70 settlements on the territory controlled by the Russian side, in which about 2 thousand people live. Vitaliy Ganchev, head of the military-civil administration of the Kharkiv region, told Izvestia in an interview what problems the residents of the region face and how the authorities solve them.
— How is the operational situation in the Kharkiv region developing now?
— Today, the situation in the Kharkiv region remains extremely difficult. I can say that it's even getting worse every day. Our civilians are facing a large number of attacks from the armed formations of Ukraine. Both artillery and drones are used. Many people living in the Kharkiv region have already faced these problems personally: destroyed houses, destroyed vehicles, and injured people. The situation is not improving.
Our guys are holding positions in those settlements where they have already gained a foothold. These are about 70 villages liberated in the Kharkiv region. The front line remains fairly static, despite the fact that the Ukrainian Armed Forces are constantly attacking our positions, strengthening, constantly rotating, and ammo is being tightened. We see this on a daily basis. Locals say that quite large forces are being pulled up in the Kupyansky and Volchansky directions.
— How can the situation develop further while maintaining current trends?
— Despite the above, there is still a movement of the front, although not very significant. Our troops have managed to gain a foothold on the right bank of the Oskol River, they are now expanding their control zone and leveling the front line around the village of Dvurechnaya. Therefore, it can be predicted that the Ukrainian group in this area will find itself in a rather difficult position.
— Will the collapse of the front, which has occurred recently in the Kursk region, have any effect on the situation in the Kharkiv region?
— It is quite possible. When the Kursk region is completely liberated, our troops will have the opportunity to exert more intense pressure on Ukrainian positions in Kharkiv territory.
— Not so long ago, Russian troops reached the outskirts of Kupyansk. How likely is his release in the foreseeable future?
— The city of Kupyansk is located on the Oskol River, and our troops were already approaching it on the left bank. But after the liberation of Dvurechnaya, the front line is approaching the city from the north. There is a lot of work to be done to liberate the city and the agglomeration. But quite serious enemy forces are deployed there. We have information that they have been reinforced, including by Western mercenaries. There are very serious battles going on there. In addition, there is a front movement from the south-east direction. But so far, this progress is quite slow. Therefore, I will not say when Kupyansk will be liberated and by what forces.
— Are there plans to expand the control zone around Volchansk?
— The front is quite static there now. There are constant skirmishes across the Volchya River. One and the same part of the gray zone comes under the control of either our troops or Ukrainian formations. It will be too early to predict any progress here.
— Is our underground operating in the occupied territories?
— I hear this question all the time and never answer it openly. People continue to act and provide us with information. But we need to understand that Ukrainian and Western intelligence services are working against us. These people are safe, and to keep it that way, I try to discuss this topic carefully. Nevertheless, they have been working since 2014.
— How many people live in the territories controlled by Russia?
— This is about 2 thousand inhabitants. Currently, the number of people has decreased due to active hostilities and increased shelling.
We have about 1,300 people in the Kupyansk area. Evacuation is underway in many localities. Where it becomes dangerous to live, people move towards the Russian Federation — to the Lugansk People's Republic, the Belgorod region. If you can't leave on your own, our military personnel provide support: they hand over these residents to us, and the administration conducts an evacuation.
I emphasize that this happens only at their request. Unlike the Ukrainian side, we have not announced any forced evacuation and are not conducting it.
— What kind of assistance do our servicemen provide to civilians?
— Everything to provide people with the most necessary things, first of all, food. When all the roads are shot through, when people do not have the opportunity to bring food, this is done with the help of our military and employees of our administrations. They operate near the line of contact and provide people with the most necessary supplies. In addition to food, these include medicines and fuel for generators. There is no centralized heat supply in the territory, and both firewood and coal are provided to people during the heating period.
— How is the management of the territories of the Kharkiv region controlled by Russia generally carried out?
— In May 2022, civil-military administrations were established in four districts and a regional administration headed by me. Currently, the main part of the liberated territories of the Kharkiv region belongs to the Kupyansky district, these are 34 settlements. Employees of the military-civil administration of Kupyansky district work daily on the territory. In some villages, there are, let's say, branches of our administration, the elders in the villages are fixed, we are constantly in touch with them.
Our employees are forced not only to do administrative work, but also to carry out technical work themselves in many ways. Even chopping wood is on them. Therefore, the entire range of work to ensure the vital activity of settlements now lies precisely with the civil-military administrations.
— What problems do residents face and what measures are being taken to solve them?
— We do not have centralized electricity and gas supply. It is important for people to provide fuel for generators.
We currently have only one bakery, but it manages to provide all residents with social bread. Our people get it for free. The ingredients are supplied by volunteer organizations, as well as the Ministry of Emergency Situations as humanitarian aid.
Our primary task is to provide people with the most necessary things. First of all, to give warmth to every home. We have to buy firewood, coal and provide for people. And sometimes it even had to be compacted: some houses were destroyed, because of this, families could not stay there for the winter. They moved people into whole houses, which of the neighbors were ready to shelter. This is especially true for the elderly, who cannot serve themselves.
In addition, we have many residents who are eligible for social benefits. The Civil-Military Administration has been providing them since 2022. Today, all people who are eligible for social benefits and permanently reside in the Kharkiv region receive monthly benefits.
— Do other regions help you?
— Yes, they are sending humanitarian aid. The supply of generators, fuel, flour, food, and household chemicals is carried out by organizations from various regions of Russia. First of all, our closest neighbors, the Lugansk People's Republic and the Belgorod region, help us. But sometimes the necessary cargo is brought from afar.
— Do children have the opportunity to go to school in the Kharkiv region?
— There is currently no such possibility in the Russian-controlled territory. This is due to security reasons. By agreement with the Lugansk People's Republic, boarding school has been organized in one of the villages of the LPR. The children go there for two or three weeks. This is a rear village where they can safely live and study. And they are already receiving Russian education.
— Are local government elections being held in the Kharkiv region?
— This is currently not possible. The only thing is that in March last year we were able to organize presidential elections for residents of the Kharkiv region who were already citizens of the Russian Federation. We couldn't deny them that right. And together with the Central Election Commission of the Belgorod region, we have done everything so that our residents can cast their votes for the President of Russia.
— How actively did they go to the vote?
— Our turnout was almost 100%.
— Have many Kharkiv residents moved to Russia?
— In 2022, when there was a counteroffensive on our territories, an emergency evacuation was carried out. About 70,000 Kharkiv residents were forced to leave their homes. People went wherever they could. Those who were able to travel to the north, to the east, moved to Russia. Many left for the west, towards Ukraine, and unfortunately stayed there. Then they entered Russia through European countries.
— What was the fate of the officials, teachers, and doctors who remained in the areas occupied by the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the fall of 2022?
— We lost contact with many of them immediately. Some of them were detained. We know that many of our staff, teachers, and doctors who collaborated with the civil-military administration were eliminated by the Kiev regime.
Many are in places of detention. We have even created lists so that these people can be included in the exchange. If civilian exchanges are carried out, then all our people will be accounted for. We really hope that they will be able to return to their families.
— What are the sentiments of the residents of the territories occupied by the Ukrainian Armed Forces? Are they waiting for Russia?
— We recently spoke with the evacuated residents of the village of Dvurechnaya, which until recently was under the control of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. People say that a forced evacuation was carried out. And those who did not want to leave were immediately accused of waiting for the Russian world here, which means they are actually becoming criminals for Ukraine.
There are people who are physically unable to evacuate — the elderly, the sick, the wounded from the Ukrainian shelling.
But there are enough healthy people who are purposefully waiting for a Russian soldier. They don't go anywhere, they hide in basements. And when our scouts and stormtroopers enter and liberate the village, these people are evacuated if necessary.
— How do you assess the prospects for the liberation of the Kharkiv region?
— At present, it is rather our wish and belief in our victory. I'm not going to make any predictions right now. But the trend in the movement of the front gives us hope.
Kharkiv residents, with whom I personally communicate, including when I travel to temporary accommodation points, ask the same question: "When already? We heard that Dvurechnaya was liberated, we heard that our troops are a few kilometers from Kupyansk."
As a citizen of Kharkiv, I hope and believe that my hometown and our entire Kharkiv land will be liberated. Of course, I can't talk about deadlines.
— There is regular evidence from the regions where fighting is taking place that Ukrainian militants tortured and killed people. Is there such information about the Kharkiv region?
— Of course, we are no exception. The front line is the same everywhere, and these fighters and mercenaries are the same everywhere too. Everyone acts with extreme cruelty.
Our center for recording crimes of the Kiev regime collects materials. And we hope that soon we will have the opportunity to transfer them to international institutions to assess these crimes. Currently, the operational situation does not allow documenting them everywhere. But we have the information.
— You established the medal "For the reunification of the Kharkiv region with Russia". What is it awarded for?
— It was established to encourage active Kharkiv citizens or citizens who take part in the liberation of the Kharkiv region.
For us, the choice was obvious back in 2014. Even then, active Kharkiv residents did not agree with the armed coup that took place in Ukraine. And our people stood up to defend their native land. Yes, I admit that things didn't work out for us then. We were unable to resist the Kiev junta. And many of our people who took an active part suffered. This medal was established to reward people for what they have been doing since 2014 during the anti-Maidan. In addition, it is awarded to those fighters who are distinguished in the battles for Kharkiv region today.
The award is called "For Reunification with Russia" because we believe that historical justice must prevail and these Russian lands must be part of the Russian Federation. That's my opinion. But the decision on which country to continue living in should be made by the residents of the Kharkiv region when they have the opportunity to have their say.
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