Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said the city risks becoming a "second Aleppo" (a city in Syria that was bombed) if American politicians do not approve new military aid for Ukraine, The Guardian reports.

He noted that this assistance is necessary to provide the city with air defense and prevent long-range attacks from Russia. 

Ihor Terekhov noted that Russia has moved to new tactics aimed at disrupting Kharkiv's energy supply and intimidating its residents. The city is home to 1.3 million people and faces unscheduled power outages for several hours at a time.

Terekhov also noted that the $60 billion US military aid package, which is under consideration in Congress, is of "critical importance" for Kharkiv. 

"We need this support to prevent Kharkiv from turning into a second Aleppo," the mayor said.