By Vitaliy Gnidy

KHARKIV (Ukraine) – Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city, said that they hoped for good but were prepared for bad. Russia has positioned tens to thousands of troops close to Ukraine’s borders, and diplomat talks have failed.

Kharkiv in Eastern Ukraine is an industrial town that has tank, aircraft, and tractor factory factories. The Russian border lies at 42 km (26 mi) distance. The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zilenskiy identified Kharkiv as a target for an attack by Russia.

Russia denied plans to attack Ukraine. However, it has been pressing the West for security assurances.

Igor Terekhov is Kharkiv’s mayor. He stated that the city of 1.4million will remain “calm, collected”, and that no one would be allowed to take it. Interviewed this Wednesday, several residents stated that they were willing to fight and stay, but others could move.

Daniella Shatokhina, project manager, stated that “I don’t have to be in one location. If anything happens, I can work remotely.”

I am trying to not think about it. All will be well. I believe in the best. “It’s best to not panic, but to be able to react as the situation presents itself.

A second resident, Anya Vergeles assistant brand manager, said that the situation was similar to what happened in 2014 when Russia took over Ukraine’s Crimea peninsula.

This could have happened to Crimea, but nobody thought so. It was impossible to imagine this. She said, “I don’t want to believe that it will be true. But we don’t know what the next step will bring.”

In an interview, Zelenskiy stated that an attack against Kharkiv is possible. However, a later statement by a spokesperson said the president had just created a hypothetical situation.

However, top U.S.-Russian diplomats failed to make significant progress at the talks on Ukraine Friday. They agreed to stay in touch to attempt to end the crisis.

Oleksiy Kormylets was a Kharkiv sales manager.

“Run? No. There is no way. It is where I was born. Here is where I was raised. It doesn’t matter how it turns out, I plan to stay. He said that if it is necessary for me to be a part of the city defense, I will.”

Anton Sergeev, an IT programmer thought Russia was just sabre-rattling. He recalled a failed attempt by Russian-backed separatists to seize the city in 2014.

“They were already welcomed here, so they are now more comfortable staying away. They will return home with zinc coffins. He said that their mothers would cry.”