The Mayor of Kharkiv Denounces Rumors of Mass Exodus
The mayor of Kharkiv, Igor Terekhov, refuted rumors of a mass exodus of city residents, calling them part of a Russian propaganda campaign. In an interview during a telethon, he assured that information about long lines to leave Kharkiv is fake and does not correspond to reality.
«There is no wave of population outflow from Kharkiv today. People continue to go to work, visit shops. The city is functioning as usual: shops, pharmacies, gas stations, and markets are open. There is no panic in the city,» Terekhov emphasized.
He added that although evacuation plans are in place, the situation is currently under control and there is no need for panic statements about mass evacuation.
According to Terekhov, around 1.3 million people currently reside in Kharkiv. The mayor urged residents to follow air raid signals due to possible attacks from Russian forces.
He also noted that Russian Telegram channels have repeatedly published disinformation about Kharkiv. In February, false information appeared claiming that pensioners were being prepared for defense as a «living shield.» In reality, military exercises were being conducted for teachers of the subject «Defense of Ukraine.» In early March, there were news reports about the alleged deportation of city residents, which also turned out to be untrue.
