Long lines of utility vehicles, old Soviet Ladas, and yellow buses with opaque windows lined up Tuesday morning on many of the access roads to Kyivthe capital of Ukraine. The city’s inhabitants, resilient though with morale on the ground after months of tensions and psychological warfare with Russia, they continued to go to work, take their children to school and shop in the ultra-modern shopping centers in the center of the Ukrainian metropolis. The population thus resists the unbreathable climate of the conflict monopolizing every moment of their lives.
Not even in Independence Square, the scene of the 2013-2014 revolt that led first to Russia’s annexation of the Crimean peninsula and then to the conflict in Donbas, was the feeling of ordinary Ukrainians perceived at first sight. view. There, some women were walking quickly in front of the Kozatskiy hotel, three drunks were loitering in the vicinity of a small supermarket, and some young people were suspiciously watching a group of journalists installed a few meters from one of the many erotic shops that have appeared in the alleys of the center of the city in recent years.
But, after the Russian president on Monday, Vladimir Putin, announced his decision to recognize the independence of the Ukrainian separatist regions of Donetsk and Lugansk, concern and mistrust over what might happen has crept back into the talks. People are torn between afraid to stay and the fear of what might happen in case they left. The reason is also that they feel betrayed by the European countries and by United Stateswhich have announced sanctions against Moscow that they consider insufficient.
“We are financially sunk”
“We don’t know what will happen now. Nobody knows. What is a reality is that we are already economically sunkand now flights to Ukraine have been suspended, several countries have asked their citizens to leave the country, many international companies have blocked their investment plans, and Ukrainian bonds have sky-high interest,” complains Vasyl Myroshnychenko, a Ukrainian intellectual. ” It almost seems that they want to punish us,” he continues. “After hearing Putin’s words, my wife and I have spoken again about the possibility of going to western Ukraine or Poland, although we have not yet made a decision,” he confesses.
Some have already left. “I’m really scared. I left my job in Kiev and went back to Cherkassy because if the Russians invade I want to be with my parents. Last year my father had a stroke and with the pension we barely have enough to take care of him,” María, 28, says by phone. “We have our bags packed and we already have a route to escape planned,” she adds. “The worst thing about this situation is that all my friends have gone to work in other countries like Poland. There the computer programmers are paid much more money. Ukraine is going to be left without young people,” says Artur, 31. “Do they intend to take over our entire country like they took Crimea? And where are we going to go?” asks the waitress Alina, originally from Odessa.
Nataliya Popovick, a PR consultant owner, understands these sentiments. She says that she has asked her employees not to share rumors or unreliable information, and she has also told them to call her relatives living in other parts of the country, to make sure they are safe. At the last minute, in addition, she has also organized an emergency meeting to go over all the security measures in case of an eventual attack.
emergency kits
“At the office, each of us has a backpack with a emergency kit prepared in case we have to run to hide in the bunkers. kit includes water, groceries, pocket knives, batteries, maps, duct tape, and flashlights“, he says, explaining the five-minute drive he would have to take to get to his refuge.
“Already last week we evacuated two employees from Donetsk to western Ukraine, where we have rented a support house,” adds Nataliya, who confesses to being saddened by having to live in such a situation in the 21st century. “It’s an incredible thing to have to assume that this war economy“, he reflects.
There are also other feelings. The worsening of the situation in the Ukrainian east, where the war has been real for eight years and has now worsened with a increased tension between the sides, has also pushed some to finally proclaim their allegiance to the ruling authorities in Ukraine. This is the case of Sasha, a 30-year-old Russian-speaker who returned to Kiev from Latvia on Monday, with the intention of enlisting, or providing medical help in the face of the concrete possibility of an increase in casualties on the front line of war.
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“I have returned because I want to defend my country. I will do it according to my abilities and what is needed. I will sign up for a nursing course or train to fight,” says this young woman, with no previous experience in war matters. “I can no longer close my eyes to what is happening,” she adds. “The Russians have to know that there will be resistance here,” concludes Myroshnychenko.