Invaders destroyed Northern Saltivka, the most heavily shelled area of Kharkiv. The Ukrainian army pushes the Russians away from the city, and people return to their destroyed houses — a photo report

Northern Saltivka is one of the largest residential areas of Kharkiv, located near the ring road. Before the war, 400 thousand people lived here. After the February 24, when the full-scale invasion started, heavy fighting broke out in the area between the Russian occupiers, who were trying to seize Kharkiv, and the Ukrainian army. About 70% of houses in Northern Saltivka were damaged. In early May, the Ukrainian army began to push the occupiers away from Kharkiv, and in June people began to return to the Northern Saltivka area. Local officials say itʼs too early to do this: the city is still under fire, and communications are damaged. This doesnʼt stop people, though. They prepare food in the yard, clean the surrounding area, and collect garbage from the apartments. Volunteers help the residents with food, they feed the abandoned cats. Communal workers are resuming the work of local heating, water supply and electricity facilities, the territory is being patrolled by the military: many apartments have been looted. Photographer Yura Palyvoda visited Northern Saltivka exclusively for Babel, here is his photo report on how the district lives now.

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