Ukraine: Life Under Russia's Attack (2023)

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> Hundreds of civilians have been killed in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv since the start of the conflict... >> NARRATOR: It was one of the first cities to be attacked by Russia... >> This is a city because of its proximity to the border that comes under almost daily attack from the Russians... >> NARRATOR: And it has endured a year of war... >> Local authorities say that Russia has been shelling Kharkiv... >> NARRATOR: Now, amid fears of a new Russian offensive, a dramatic look inside the city of Kharkiv through the experiences of those who stayed behind.

>> Let's go.

>> NARRATOR: A "Frontline" special presentation-- "Ukraine: Life Under Russia's Attack."

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ (people talking in background) (bomb bursting) >> Breaking news this morning: explosions were heard... >> Russia has the troops to invade with overwhelming force.

>> It's war.

>> NARRATOR: In February 2022, Russia attacked Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city.

(explosion bangs) Many expected the city to fall in days.

>> (speaking Russian): >> MAN (speaking Russian): >> NARRATOR: But the Ukrainians refused to surrender.

(boy imitates explosion) >> (speaking Russian): (gunfire pounding) >> NARRATOR: This is the story of the battle for Kharkiv, told by the people who lived through it: the displaced families... >> (speaking Russian): >> NARRATOR: The civilians caught in the fight... >> MAN (speaking Russian): >> TATJANA (in Russian): >> NARRATOR: And the first responders risking their lives to protect them.

>> TATJANA (in Russian): (siren blaring) >> We have rescued four people.

>> Putin said, "A special military operation."

How many people died already?

(woman crying) You can call it any way you want.

But still, it's war.

♪ ♪ >> NARRATOR: Kharkiv is just 25 miles from the Russian border.

Most people here speak Russian as a first language.

Known as a city of poetry and arts, it was one of the first places to come under attack from Russian forces.

(music playing in background) >> ROMAN (speaking Russian): >> VIOLETTA (speaking Russian): >> ROMAN: >> VIOLETTA: >> ROMAN: >> VIOLETTA (muttering): >> NARRATOR: This is Roman and his seven-year-old daughter Violetta.

>> WOMAN (speaking Russian): (siren wailing) >> VIOLETTA: (Roman replies inaudibly) >> MAN (speaking Russian): >> ROMAN: Okay.

Let's go-- let's go.

>> NARRATOR: Roman is second in command at Kharkiv's Central Fire Station.

>> We're waiting till shelling is over.

It's still shelling where we're going right now.

In five minutes, we will go.

>> WOMAN (speaking Russian): >> ROMAN: First day of the war, 5:00 a.m.

I wake up and I see there's shelling.

Boom, boom, boom...

I say, "Oh (bleep).

Oh (bleep)."

I hear like my wife saying, "Probably the war has started."

What the (bleep)?

I mean, really?

Really?

(bleep).

Putin!

(bleep).

Why?

You know, like, why?

(siren wailing) >> (singing softly) >> NARRATOR: It's March 17, three weeks since the invasion began.

Russia has just hit Kharkiv's famous indoor market, known as Barabashova.

(glass shattering) Before the war, Barabashova was one of Europe's largest markets, and was at the center of daily life for many in the city.

(explosion bangs) (horns honk, siren wailing) Fire crews from all over rush to the scene.

Roman is among them.

>> MAN (speaking Russian): (people talking in background) (glass shattering) >> (speaking Russian): >> (speaking Russian): (calling in Russian) >> MAN: (glass and metal clattering) >> MAN (speaking Russian): >> ROMAN (in Russian): (men talking at once) >> NARRATOR: As Roman and the crews battle the fire through the night, the market is hit again.

(glass and metal clattering) ♪ ♪ >> NARRATOR: The market fire would be one of many they would fight over the months of the invasion.

>> (roaring) (exclaims) (giggles) (murmuring) (exclaims) (speaking Russian): >> MARINA (speaking Russian): >> (cheers) >> MARINA (in Russian): >> NARRATOR: Roman and his wife, Marina, have moved from their apartment to the fire station due to the near-constant shelling.

The station may be safer, but they need to pack up and bring a lot there to make it suitable for family life.

>> (speaking Russian): (tape peeling) (dogs barking in distance) >> NARRATOR: The neighborhood of Saltivka is on the northeast side of Kharkiv.

It faces the Russian lines and has been bearing the brunt of the attack.

At least 400,000 people used to live here.

Most of them have fled.

But some have refused to leave.

Sergiy is one of them.

(distant explosion echoes) (bird cawing) >> (speaking Russian): (mumbles) ♪ ♪ (birds chirping) (explosion echoes in distance) >> NARRATOR: Sergiy and others who have remained are sheltering in the basement of this school.

The poorest and weakest, and those without cars, are stranded here.

(explosion echoes in distance) (parrot trills) >> WOMAN (speaking Russian): >> PARROT (in Russian): >> WOMAN: (man speaking on radio) (parrot trills) >> NARRATOR: For Sergiy, this is home now.

>> WOMAN (on radio in Russian): >> NARRATOR: Many of the people here have family across the border in Russia.

>> MAN (speaking Russian): >> WOMAN (speaking Russian): ♪ ♪ >> NARRATOR: The area's paramedics have also remained in Saltivka.

>> MAN (speaking Russian): >> (calling in Russian): >> TATJANA: >> IRINA: >> NARRATOR: Irina has been on the job for seven years, her colleague Tatjana for 27.

>> Some of them are very strong.

Very strong-- Tatjana, for example.

Whoa!

She is very strong.

>> NARRATOR: Today, both women are preparing for a 24-hour shift.

>> TATJANA (speaking Russian): ♪ ♪ >> NARRATOR: Tatjana and a colleague are called out to an address in Saltivka.

An entire apartment has just been destroyed by Russian shelling.

>> MAN (speaking Russian): >> TATJANA: (glass clattering) >> MAN (speaking Russian): >> WOMAN: (sobbing) >> MAN: >> TATJANA: >> MAN 2: >> TATJANA: >> MAN 3: >> MAN 1: >> MAN 2: >> MAN 1: >> TATJANA: >> MAN 1: >> MAN and TATJANA: >> MAN: >> TATJANA: >> MAN 4: >> TATJANA AND MAN 1: >> TATJANA: (glass clattering) >> TATJANA: >> DRIVER: >> TATJANA: >> DRIVER: >> TATJANA: >> Davai.

>> TATJANA: >> MAN: >> TATJANA: >> MAN: >> TATJANA: >> MAN and TATJANA: >> NARRATOR: Roman is also dealing with a death.

>> The hardest moment was to lose your brother.

You know, like, your fire brother-- it was the hardest.

>> MAN (speaking Russian): >> (sniffling) >> NARRATOR: It's the funeral of the firefighter who died at the huge market fire.

>> MAN: (woman sobbing and murmuring) (choir singing) (woman sobbing) (sirens wailing) (woman sobbing) (sirens wailing) (choir singing) >> (babbling) >> NARRATOR: A month into the onslaught, parts of Kharkiv have been reduced to rubble.

Kharkiv used to have a population of 1.4 million.

By late March, it's down to about half of that.

As many as 1,500 buildings have been destroyed, and streets are deserted.

For thousands of people still in the city, life has moved underground.

(explosion echoes in distance) (guitar playing) >> (singing in Russian): >> NARRATOR: This is the Heroes of Labor metro station.

Day after day, for weeks, it has been home to hundreds of people.

The trains have stopped running and it has become a makeshift bomb shelter.

(singing continues) >> (singing): >> WOMAN (speaking Russian): (song ends) >> (clapping softly) >> Opa!

(chuckles) >> MAN (speaking Russian): >> (speaking Russian): (people talking and coughing) (dogs barking) >> NARRATOR: Many people are trying to maintain normal routines.

(tablet audio playing) Before the war, ten-year-old Vika took ballroom dancing classes.

>> VIKA (speaking Russian): >> MOM (speaking Russian): (chuckling) >> VIKA: >> NARRATOR: Vika is here with her mom, grandmother, and little brother Misha.

>> (talking quietly) >> NARRATOR: She's trying to keep up with her school work.

>> MOM: >> VIKA: >> MOM: >> VIKA: >> MOM: >> WOMAN (in Russian, over loudspeaker): (children exclaiming) (dogs barking) >> (speaking Russian): >> (exclaiming): >> MAN: >> BOY (speaking Russian): >> MAN: >> (exclaiming): (man laughs) >> (plucking notes) (speaking Russian): >> MISHA: (guitar playing) >> (singing indistinctly) >> VIKA: >> (playing) >> MISHA: >> GRANDMOTHER: (guitar playing) (song ends) >> Opa!

(dogs barking in distance) ♪ ♪ >> NARRATOR: Above ground, the people of Kharkiv routinely wake to new ruins from shelling in the night.

>> MAN (speaking Russian): >> NARRATOR: Roman is out helping to search for survivors.

>> (calling): (knocks) (breath trembling) NARRATOR: Desperate relatives are doing the same.

>> (speaking Russian): >> WOMAN 2: >> (panting, door closes above) (exhales): Nyet.

>> I need to check another place.

>> WOMAN 2 (in Russian): >> WOMAN 1: >> MAN (speaking Russian): >> ROMAN (in Russian): >> (in Russian, crying): >> NARRATOR: With much of the city in ruins, many remain missing.

The authorities don't know if people have left or lie dead beneath the rubble.

In the Saltivka neighborhood, Sergiy has been adjusting to his changed life.

In the shelter, they go outside for air during pauses in the bombing.

(rumbling in distance) >> IRINA (speaking Russian): (people talking in background) (rumbling continues) >> IRINA: >> WOMAN: >> (talking in background) >> IRINA: >> MAN: >> NARRATOR: Among the neighbors, the topic of discussion is whether they should stay or try to escape with volunteers who are organizing groups to leave the city.

>> (speaking Russian): >> MAN 2: >> MAN 1: (dog whimpering) >> IRINA: >> MAN: (all talking at once) (explosion echoes in distance) (door slams) >> MAN: >> MAN: >> WOMAN: >> MAN: >> MAN: >> IRINA: >> MAN: >> MAN: >> (crying softly) (sniffles) (boy imitates explosion) (guns firing on TV) >> This movie about Second World War, and they are, like, from the different parts, from the different countries, but they're speaking one language.

I mean, like USSR, like, there was one nation.

(speaking Russian): >> (speaking Russian): >> He feels sorry for his grandfathers, for grandparents.

Because our grandparents, they was working and fighting together in front, well, in front of Germany.

His grandpa have been fighting against Nazis.

And now we are theirs grandsons, we are their sons, fighting between each other.

>> (singing in film) (glasses clinking) Cheers, for the peace.

For the peace, for the peace.

♪ ♪ >> NARRATOR: Since the shelling began, Kharkiv has been under a strict curfew.

Underneath the city, thousands of people turn in each night.

It's bitterly cold.

>> (murmurs softly) >> (snoring) (child laughing) >> (speaking Russian): (whispers): >> (laughing) ♪ ♪ >> NARRATOR: As they sleep below, above, the battle is intensifying.

>> MAN (on radio, in Russian): >> (speaking Russian): >> (on radio): ♪ ♪ >> NARRATOR: Irina has been working for 39 hours straight.

>> (speaking Russian): >> NARRATOR: The city is under a total blackout.

By April, over a third of Irina's colleagues have left.

>> IRINA: >> MAN: >> IRINA: >> MAN: >> IRINA: >> SATNAV (in Russian): >> IRINA (speaking Russian): >> NARRATOR: This couple's home was hit by Russian shelling.

>> IRINA (speaking Russian): >> MAN: >> IRINA: (man groaning) >> MAN: (gasps) (groans) >> IRINA: >> MAN (hoarsely): >> NARRATOR: The couple survived, but many others have not.

(doors close) Hundreds of civilians have been killed or injured since the invasion began.

(bombs exploding, guns firing) ♪ ♪ (breathing through mask) >> NARRATOR: By late April, the city has endured two months of shelling, with estimates of more than a hundred schools and over 2,000 homes damaged or destroyed.

♪ ♪ (Violetta playing) (Marina speaking Russian) (explosions pound in distance) >> ROMAN: >> VIOLETTA: (Roman calling, Violetta speaks) >> MARINA: (all speaking at once) (Violetta playing) >> ROMAN (in Russian): (Violetta giggling) >> Me and Violetta, we are very close.

We are like on one wave, you know.

We are good.

And she knows Daddy is the best.

(speaking Russian): I realize it could happen, you know.

For my wife, it's very hard.

Everything is hard.

I just really worry about them.

I don't know what will happen here.

(guitar playing) >> NARRATOR: It's early May.

The city of Kharkiv is pushing the Russian troops farther away, for the time being.

Burned Russian tanks and dead soldiers are scattered in the fields outside the city.

>> (singing in Russian): >> NARRATOR: Spring has arrived, and people have begun tentatively emerging after more than two months underground.

>> (song continues): (guitar continues) (song ends) >> NARRATOR: The battle for Kharkiv may be subsiding for the moment, but the war for Ukraine rages on.

(explosions pound in distance) >> (speaking Russian, laughs): >> MOM: >> VIKA: >> MOM: >> VIKA: >> MOM: >> VIKA: >> MOM: (chuckles) (Vika murmuring) >> VIKA: ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ (cuts flower) >> NARRATOR: As for Sergiy, he's on his way to see his neighbor and friend.

>> (exclaims) >> (speaking Russian): >> (laughs) >> SERGIY: (nurse responds) >> SERGIY: >> NURSE: >> (laughs) (explosions pound in distance) >> NURSE: (Sergiy murmurs) (explosions continue) (drawer opens) (explosions continue) (explosions stop) >> SERGIY: >> It's fine.

>> SERGIY (speaking Russian): ♪ ♪ >> (speaking Russian): >> NARRATOR: Vitaly has gone back to see his apartment.

>> Opa!

(explosions pound in distance) (explosions continue) (explosions continue) >> (mutters) >> NARRATOR: With artillery going off in the background, Vitaly sings along with the television.

>> (singing in Russian): (phone audio playing) >> TATJANA: >> Hello, everyone!

Hello, lovely people!

Today is the Jamie Oliver cooking for you plov!

(chuckles) (speaking Russian) >> (speaking Russian): >> ROMAN: >> MAN and ROMAN: The most awesome moment is when you thought you'd be dead, but you're alive.

That's wonderful.

I really care about my family.

I really care about my daughter.

I just want them to have a normal life.

It could be... (explosions echo) It's probably our troops.

So, everything is fine.

(laughter) (people exclaiming) (conversing in Russian) >> MARINA: >> ROMAN: >> MARINA: (door opens) >> ROMAN: >> Mmm... >> (sings softly): >> (giggling): Papa!

>> Khorosho!

>> VIOLETTA: >> ROMAN: >> VIOLETTA: >> ROMAN: >> VIOLETTA: >> ROMAN: (Violetta murmurs) >> ROMAN: >> VIOLETTA: >> Mm-hmm.

>> VIOLETTA: >> VITALI (singing): (song ends) ♪ ♪ >> ROMAN: >> NARRATOR: Violetta is waking up in a different world.

>> VIOLETTA: >> ROMAN: >> VIOLETTA: >> ROMAN: >> VIOLETTA: >> NARRATOR: They're in Germany.

Violetta and her mother fled here in June.

Roman stayed behind but is visiting them for a week.

>> ROMAN: Marina and Violetta to go to Germany, it was very hard decision for her.

She couldn't imagine a situation that she will be without me.

And I've been there at the railway station, Marina, of course, crying, everything goes through your brain.

Maybe we will say goodbye for the last time.

To be honest, I've been kind of sad but I didn't want to think about sadness.

I've been happy that finally they will be safe.

(conversing) >> NARRATOR: They are staying with the Lissesvski family, who live near Nuremberg.

>> ROMAN: They've got huge heart and huge hospitality.

So for Violetta it's like having a grandma and grandpa.

It's, it's something amazing, some, some miracle.

I like hot.

>> (speaking German) (laughter) >> ROMAN: >> VIOLETTA: >> (speaking German) Big and strong.

>> Yeah.

(laughter) ♪ ♪ >> ROMAN: I just feel full rainbow of positive emotions being here.

I'm charged my batteries.

Even right now I'm ready to go back.

I am staying in Ukraine after the war.

I love my country.

And of course I wanna be in the first step to rebuild.

♪ ♪ >> NARRATOR: Almost a year after the war began, Kharkiv bears deep scars from Russia's invasion.

And there are growing fears of a new assault on the city.

>> SERGIY: >> NARRATR: Sergiy, who now lives with a neighbor, continues to roam the streets of Saltivka.

>> SERGIY: (alarm blaring) >> NARRATOR: Kharkiv is still in range of Russian missiles, which occasionally hit the city.

♪ ♪ (dog barking) >> (on phone): >> NARRATOR: Vika and her family made it out to Finland, but her grandparents remain in the suburbs of Kharkiv.

>> GRANDPARENTS: >> MISHA: >> GRANDMOTHER: >> MISHA: >> GRANDMOTHER: >> MOTHER: >> MISHA: >> GRANDMOTHER: (grandparents chuckle) >> MOTHER: >> GRANDMOTHER: (gives air kiss) (sighs) (train whooshing) >> NARRATOR: Trains are running once again in Kharkiv's subway.

Vitali is still here.

>> VITALI: (singing): (both singing): (playing accordion) >> VITALI: (chuckles) (train hisses) >> NARRATOR: Ukraine is now warning that a major Russian offensive could begin soon, on the one-year anniversary of the invasion.

The people of Kharkiv watch, and wait.

(Vitali playing accordion) (song ends) >> Go to pbs.org/frontline... >> We just try not to think about it.

Life is life, death is death.

>> For a Q&A with the producers on the making of this film.

>> (speaking Russian) >> And explore more of our reporting and documentaries on Ukraine.

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♪ ♪ "Frontline's" "Ukraine: Life Under Russia's Attack" is available on Amazon Prime Video.

♪ ♪