Air raid siren. A bunch of notifications on the phone, sounds of explosions somewhere in the distance (and sometimes very close), trembling glass windows. Write to mom that we are safe and everything is fine. Flip through news feeds, channels in instant messengers in search of reliable, official information about exactly where the shelling took place and whether there were any victims. Unfortunately, as a rule, there are ones. Since the beginning of the war, 222 people have died in Kyiv alone. Sometimes I'm afraid to fall asleep, because I know that the morning will bring news of more deaths. Sometimes I even think that I might be among them.
Consequences of shelling in Kyiv, Podil district, 18 March - PHOTO CREDIT
But every day I try to return to my senses, try to work, somehow live on. Everyone around us, from politicians to psychologists, is asking us to "adapt" to the new reality, find ourselves in it, continue to work, pay taxes if possible, and even adhere to familiar rituals where possible. Go to coffee, get a haircut, use dry cleaning services. The Diia application ("State in Smartphone" project of the Ukrainian government) has a map of a working business, that is, small enterprises whose services can be used even now, during the war. Unfortunately, so far the situation is not very rosy. Almost all of our usual services have suspended work or are busy with socially important matters during the war: for example, cooking meals for soldiers or sewing balaclavas and body armor. I hope that the capital will become calmer and calmer and other businesses will also be able to safely resume their work.
This is what most Kyiv streets now look like - PHOTO CREDIT
I literally just heard good news from our president - the Armed Forces of Ukraine have returned more than 30 settlements near Kyiv under the control of Ukraine. And in some areas, Ukrainian soldiers managed to push back the invaders 70 kilometers from the capital. It sounds very encouraging, but at the moment of writing this text, explosions and the rumble of multiple rocket launchers are heard in the distance. And the stories that my friends and colleagues tell me about the last weeks in the villages near Kyiv, about the humanitarian situation there, about the behavior of the russian occupiers, these bloodthirsty creatures, do not add optimism. I want to cry and cry endlessly. Revenge without mercy. They have no mercy for children who are left to burn alive in shelled cars, pregnant women who are beaten for a piece of bread, or old people who are not allowed to leave the basement even to drink water. These terrible stories have already been carved into the DNA of the entire Ukrainian nation and will never, ever be forgotten.
Many villages in Kyiv region are flattened to earth - PHOTO CREDIT
Every day I hear that new sanctions are appearing in russia or that the effect of already imposed sanctions is beginning to be felt. It is insanely nice to see how old people literally fight in the store for a pack of sugar, and young people cry in front of the camera because of the shutdown of Instagram, YouTube, payment systems and other services that have become so common to the entire civilized world. Although, there are brands that consider it quite ethical to continue their work in russia, sponsoring the murder of Ukrainian children, such as Nestle or Metro. Conclusions about them have also been made.
A screenshot from Ukraine's Prime Minister, Denys Shmyhal, Twitter account - SOURCE
But despite all this panic in the occupying country, despite the obvious impending default, poverty and decline (which is already clearly felt), cruise missiles continue to hit our residential buildings, hospitals and theaters, and 71% of russians (according to Radio Svoboda) support this horror. Olaf Scholz, the German chancellor, urged people not to engage in russophobia, since the responsibility for the war in Ukraine lies, in his opinion, solely with putin. But how then to explain these 71%? How to explain the pilot who dropped a bomb on the building of the Drama Theater in Mariupol, knowing that there were children in the shelter? How to explain the 200,000 people at today's rally in honor of the anniversary of the occupation of Ukrainian Crimea and the universal, all-consuming pride, joy and happiness of russians over all the criminal acts that their government commits?
russia is already suffering the deficit of essential goods - PHOTO CREDIT
There's neither excuse nor forgiveness for them. This is not only about those who actively support, but also about those who are actively silent. They will never wash away the blood of Ukrainian civilians from themselves, certainly not in my lifetime. I will teach my children that russians are a nation of shame, cowardice and cruelty. I'll tell them about everything these hellhounds did on our lands. What atrocities they were committing and what torment they brought. For people like them, even a place in hell is an undeserved gift.
This video went viral. On the first days of the war, this boy had to flee the warzone, leaving his dad behind to help the army. What a sincere, intelligent, innocent kid. I cry every time I watch this video, cry just like he cries. Not a single child's tear, injury or death will be forgiven. Watch the video here.
If my thoughts seem inhumanistic to someone, I will answer that I have every right to them, being in a country attacked for no reason by a criminal neighbor. I never want anyone to be in my shoes, or the shoes of any Ukrainian now.
