One in four of buildings has been destroyed in Kharkiv as Russian troops seek to lay waste to the second biggest city of Ukraine, said architect and Urban Forms Center leader Yevheniya Gubkina.

The destruction of Kharkiv cultural heritage amounts to real genocide and post-war restoration effort will require very fine-tuned approach as you just can’t replicate the authentic landmark cites with its copies.

She warned the city will face a huge problem of rebuilding social infrastructure and residential building. ‘It is so-called post-catastrophe architecture. People will return and need a place to live’.

Another concern is that housing development in the city failed to follow international norms and it will have to be re-assessed to work out more balanced policies for future restoration campaign.

Yevheniya Gubkina argues Ukrainian cities will probably be unrecognizable once Ukraine completes its ‘Marshall plan’ dreams adding there is a huge risk that the architecture that will survive Russian rockets can be ‘destroyed by housing developers’.