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Mint
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Mint
Gaming the air raids in Kyiv: A night in a capital at war
KYIV, Ukraine—It is a balmy Monday evening here, filled with the honeyed scent of linden trees, the bustle of outdoor cafes and no outward hint of the deadly war that has raged for more than three years. Then comes a warning from social-media channels: A couple of Russian attack drones are closing in. A couple. Not enough to alter my dinner plans but the start of a gamble Kyiv residents like me take every night: How long can we cling to the normal stuff of life before Russia's steady drone-and-missile barrages drive us underground in search of shelter? Russia's latest tactic to wear down Ukrainian resistance is stockpiling munitions for a few days and launching them in a single night to overload air defenses. The biggest threat comes from Iranian-designed Shahed attack drones, each capable of destroying several floors of an apartment building. The longer the sky is quiet, the more tense the conversations in Kyiv's coffee shops and stores about when the next air raid will be. During my meal, my phone lies unlocked so I can keep a wary eye on drone status notifications appearing on my screen at shorter and shorter intervals. Sirens start to wail across the city at 9:06 p.m. as I take a walk after dinner, indicating the first few drones have entered Kyiv's airspace. Kyivans carry on unperturbed. I head home to get some sleep before the assault's crescendo. At my apartment, I begin my nightly checks. The bathtub, a safe place away from the windows and behind an interior wall, is padded with a blanket and pillows—a touch of comfort after I fell asleep there once and woke with a sore neck. I put my electronic devices on to charge and check my go-bag: water, granola bars, a medical kit with two tourniquets, a flashlight, a power bank and some sweaters. Warm sweatpants and socks for the musty underground shelter are folded by my bedside. The monitoring channels tell me the drones are far away enough for me to sleep before the first bombardment. I turn the volume on my phone to maximum to avoid missing an air-raid alert and set alarms for every 20 minutes to wake up and check on the status of the assault. As I doze off, at 10:17 p.m., another warning on Telegram: Russian war planes are preparing to take off in the next two hours. I go back to sleep. The next update is at 10:31 p.m.: There are up to 100 drones in Ukrainian airspace. I try to squeeze in another 20 minutes of fitful rest as I listen for the telltale buzz, which earned the drones the nickname 'mopeds" among Ukrainians. Just after midnight, I hear one. The buzzing grows closer. I lurch toward the bathtub and strain to hear the sound of the drone speeding up, a sign it is plunging toward its target. But the hum remains constant. It is flying past. I check my phone. More are on their way. It is time to go to the air-raid shelter. The usual crowd stands at the entrance, a covered stairway near the side of a building. They are smoking, chatting and checking their phones, ready to scurry back down at the first sound of trouble. 'They are already buzzing, huh?" one woman sitting in her usual spot by the entryway asks. 'When we got here, it was still quiet." Many people in Ukraine use parking garages or basements for shelter, but this one was built for the task in 1978 during the Cold War. A tattered map on the wall illustrates the potential spread of radiation in case of a nuclear strike. There is wireless internet and beds fashioned from stacks of blank forms for a census that was never carried out. People arrive with their pets, including a green parrot inside a ventilated backpack and a pooch with a dyed purple tail called Lolita. The regulars greet one another warmly. A group of elderly women save a seat for an older man with an ornate mustache who reads updates from his tablet. His back hurts today. I offer him my chair. The cold underground turns into a kind of living room housing a couple of dozen people. A blond woman is already sleeping under a blanket with her spaniel beside her, the dog's graying muzzle peeking out. The boy with the parrot eats sandwiches with his friend as their parents scroll through their phones. A young man plays Candy Crush. Someone snores. The same updates ping throughout the shelter. Each corner has someone reading from their phone in hushed tones. It is past 12:30 a.m. and there are a few dozen drones in the air, and Russian warplanes carrying cruise missiles have taken off. By 2 a.m. we will know whether they have launched their munitions. Each update comes with a mental calculation of how long the bombs will take to arrive and the morbid question of what and whom they will target. 'Balistyka?" people blurt out as walls vibrate. 'Was that a ballistic missile?" Each explosion, even when it is an interception by Ukrainian air defense, shakes the shelter. Those who were asleep are alert now. Ballistic missiles can only be countered with U.S.-designed Patriots, which Ukraine has in short supply. The shock wave from one makes the body shudder. 'A strike in Solomyanka," a working-class district in Kyiv, the man with the mustache says. 'Ambulances were called," I read out loud from my phone to the neighboring women. We are left to guess the extent of the damage. It is illegal for Ukrainians to post images of strikes and air-defense systems firing, because Russia is known for hunting down air defenders and carrying out so-called double-tap attacks—striking the same place twice to kill first responders, journalists and civilians who arrive at the scene. The woman with the spaniel sits up and scans her phone. She asks nobody in particular: How many missiles can a Russian Tu-160 strategic bomber carry? 'Between six and 12," I say. 'Oh God," she responds. By 2:15 a.m., most of the shelter is awake, sharing grim updates about areas of the city that have been hit. 'O bozhe," the woman next to me whispers repeatedly, 'Oh God." Another wave of drones comes an hour later, but some people begin to head home during a period of quiet. 'Is it the end?" says a woman in a white winter jacket. She started coming to the shelter after getting caught near a ballistic strike. She was OK, but she trembles every time she hears the air-raid sirens blare. 'No, people are just tired," her friend responds. 'People have to work tomorrow," says the woman in the white jacket. 'Today," her friend corrects her. Both women stay put. By 4.30 a.m., the cold is creeping through my two sweaters and I can't keep my eyes open. The desire to sleep wins out over fear and I head home, despite the 15 attack drones still in the air. When I emerge from the shelter, it is nearly dawn. The sky is filled with the sound of birds greeting the rising sun. For an hour, I try to sleep between the machine-gun fire and explosions as Ukrainians battle against the final wave of drones and missiles. A glance at photos starting to circulate online shows the damage from the strikes. A student dormitory is hollowed out, missing windows. The midsection of a nine-story apartment building has been bombed to the ground by the ballistic missile we heard. I can also smell it. Fires blaze across the capital. The smell of smoke fills the air. Authorities advise residents to close their windows and avoid the outdoors. A collective grief descends over the city. Streets bustling the night before fall into a shellshocked whisper. Survivors post condolences online to those who didn't. People in the streets yawn, their eyes distant and tired. 'Was it loud where you were?" Kyivans ask one another by way of a greeting. The toll of those who didn't share our shelter or our luck that night is stark: 28 killed and more than 140 wounded.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
In Kyiv, skepticism about ceasefire reigns as Russia ramps up deadly attacks and US remains mute
Following weeks of loud statements and attempts at diplomacy, the lack of clarity feels unsettling. Ukraine had agreed to a full ceasefire and got nothing in return. Russia had refused to comply. Over the past week, Russia further escalated its attacks on Ukrainian cities, killing dozens of civilians, among them children. The White House, which prioritized stopping the killings in Ukraine, remained notably mute. "I don't know what's happening there," U.S. President Donald Trump said on April 7, though he added he was "not happy... with the bombing." But has so far the White House has not taken any concrete action to pressure Russia into a ceasefire. As a result of the grueling uncertainty, people on the streets of Kyiv and those in high cabinets say they don't believe a ceasefire can be achieved in the foreseeable future, nor that the U.S. can help bring one as it had promised. "What kind of peace talks can there be?" Oksana, a 47-year-old cashier in Kyiv, asked. "They announced a ceasefire dealing with the energy system, and on the same day started hitting civilians, people, and residential buildings," she told the Kyiv Independent a day after yet another Russian missile strike on Kyiv kept her awake throughout the night, worried for her children. Like other Kyiv residents interviewed, Oksana remained skeptical of diplomatic efforts with Russia, saying that "the Russians will go to the negotiation only if it meets their conditions 100 percent." "This is Russia's way of showing its true intentions — to continue terror as long as the world allows it." The rising skepticism among Kyivans comes as President Volodymyr Zelensky calls for a tougher Western response, stressing that "the pressure on Russia is still not enough." "This is Russia's way of showing its true intentions — to continue terror as long as the world allows it," Zelensky said in a Telegram post on April 6. Oleksandr Merezhko, head of the parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee and a lawmaker from Zelensky's Servant of the People party, believes that people in Kyiv have "more and more disappointment and less and less illusions about the possible ceasefire." "We see that initially, people had some hope that maybe before Easter, as Trump wanted, there would be a ceasefire," Merezhko told the Kyiv Independent. "But with each day, this hope diminishes," he added, referring to the growing number of deadly attacks. Zelensky, whose hometown of Kryvyi Rih in central-eastern Dnipropetrovsk Oblast suffered a missile strike on April 4 that saw at least 20 killed, including nine children, stressed that the Russian attack numbers were growing. On April 6, an overnight Russian ballistic missile strike on Kyiv killed at least one and wounded three. Russian troops have launched over 1,460 aerial bombs, almost 670 drones, and over 30 missiles of various types against Ukraine during the past week, according to Zelensky. Merezhko dashed the feasibility of a potential ceasefire with Russia, saying that Russian President Vladimir Putin does not appear interested in such a deal. The lawmaker explained that Putin continues to put forward "absolutely unacceptable demands and conditions." Earlier in March, Ukraine agreed to the U.S.-proposed 30-day ceasefire. Russia has so far rejected the proposal, demanding that Ukraine be barred from receiving Western military aid and mobilizing and training new troops. Among the latest demands, Putin said he would favor a change of government in Ukraine to continue talks. Trump has thus far insisted on Putin's commitment to the potential truce, trying to end the war in Ukraine by pressuring Kyiv instead of Moscow. Ukrainian officials say Putin doesn't want peace and is using the time to inflict more damage. "What we see from his actions: he continues to kill civilians, including children in Kyiv," Merezhko said. "So judging not by his words but his actions, he has no intentions to have any reliable, stable, sustainable ceasefire." "Ukrainian society has long had no illusions about the sincerity of Russia's intentions," according to Dmytro Fomin, former public opinion researcher at the Center for Content Analysis. Mykyta Poturayev, head of the parliament's Humanitarian and Information Policy Committee and Vice-President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, said, "There is no room to discuss ceasefire" when Putin doesn't want to stop the war. Poturayev said it is difficult to make predictions when no one knows the potential decisions that the U.S. could make in the coming months regarding the war. "Nobody knows what the position of the U.S. will be in the long run," Poturayev told the Kyiv Independent. Peace talks began when Trump abruptly declared the start of negotiations to end the war in Ukraine after a phone call with Putin in February. Since then, Trump's team has met with both the Russian and Ukrainian delegations in hopes of ironing out conditions for a potential agreement. The U.S. took a sharp policy shift in early March, temporarily freezing its military aid and intelligence sharing to Ukraine following a heated Feb. 28 Oval Office clash between Trump, his Vice President JD Vance, and Zelensky. Following a series of Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities over the past week, Trump reiterated his calls for a ceasefire and said, "I don't like the bombing." "We are talking to Russia. We would like them to stop," Trump told reporters on April 6. Olexiy Haran, politics professor at the Kyiv Mohyla Academy, said the intensified attacks may be Russia's intent to "maximize the stakes" and possibly to show it to Trump in particular. "The question here is how we can break the Russian position — the only thing (that can) is pressure," Haran told the Kyiv Independent. "But (Trump) is not doing anything right now." Poturayev was more optimistic. "With every day, we (Ukraine, the U.S., and Europe) have a more and more common understanding of the situation of Russia's real position," Poturayev said. People who spoke with the Kyiv Independent, however, don't expect this to lead to any sort of result. Read also: Does Trump have red lines with Russia? The question has experts stumped We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Yahoo
01-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Stunned by angry Trump exchange, Ukrainians rally round Zelenskiy
By Anna Dabrowska and Max Hunder KYIV (Reuters) - Ukrainians on the streets of Kyiv rallied around President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Friday after his angry exchange with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House. Zelenskiy openly challenged Trump over his approach toward Russian President Vladimir Putin at the meeting, urging him to "make no compromises with a killer." Trump accused Zelenskiy of risking World War Three and of being ungrateful to Washington for the military aid provided to Ukraine. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. "Trump finally understood that Zelenskiy is a president that will not just give up," said Mila, an HR manager who did not give a second name, speaking on a chilly night in central Kyiv. "It is not Ukraine that is gambling with World War Three - more likely we are being used in this game as a bargaining chip," said Oksana, a business consultant. On social media, Ukrainian officials and other prominent individuals were also supportive of Zelenskiy, calling for unity in a country exhausted by three years of gruelling battle. "President Zelenskiy has the bravery and strength to stand up for what is right," Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, who was at the meeting with Trump, wrote on social media. While most Kyivans Reuters spoke to said Ukraine would be able to keep going whatever lay ahead, some were concerned by the breakdown in relations between the two leaders. "Without the arms supplied by the United States we will not win this war and I do not know what's going to happen," said Andriy, a 59-year-old university lecturer. The meeting in Washington was intended to smooth choppy personal relations between Trump and Zelenskiy, with the two men due to sign an agreement that would have shared profits from Ukraine's critical raw material deposits with the U.S. Instead, it quickly turned into a vicious spat in front of the cameras as Trump visibly irritated Zelenskiy by refusing to condemn Russia, which launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine three years ago and occupied parts of it since 2014. "The agreement and the participation of the U.S. in the mineral deal would have stabilised relations. Now it is very scary," said Petro, a 20-year-old student. "I think it could have been approached in a more diplomatic way, but from the individual point of view I can understand Zelenskiy because the tone of the dialogue with Trump and Vance indicated it would end like this."
Reuters
28-02-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Stunned by angry Trump exchange, Ukrainians rally round Zelenskiy
KYIV, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Ukrainians on the streets of Kyiv rallied around President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Friday after his angry exchange with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House. Zelenskiy openly challenged Trump over his approach toward Russian President Vladimir Putin at the meeting, urging him to "make no compromises with a killer." Trump accused Zelenskiy of risking World War Three and of being ungrateful to Washington for the military aid provided to Ukraine. "Trump finally understood that Zelenskiy is a president that will not just give up," said Mila, an HR manager who did not give a second name, speaking on a chilly night in central Kyiv. "It is not Ukraine that is gambling with World War Three - more likely we are being used in this game as a bargaining chip," said Oksana, a business consultant. On social media, Ukrainian officials and other prominent individuals were also supportive of Zelenskiy, calling for unity in a country exhausted by three years of gruelling battle. "President Zelenskiy has the bravery and strength to stand up for what is right," Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, who was at the meeting with Trump, wrote on social media. While most Kyivans Reuters spoke to said Ukraine would be able to keep going whatever lay ahead, some were concerned by the breakdown in relations between the two leaders. "Without the arms supplied by the United States we will not win this war and I do not know what's going to happen," said Andriy, a 59-year-old university lecturer. The meeting in Washington was intended to smooth choppy personal relations between Trump and Zelenskiy, with the two men due to sign an agreement that would have shared profits from Ukraine's critical raw material deposits with the U.S. Instead, it quickly turned into a vicious spat in front of the cameras as Trump visibly irritated Zelenskiy by refusing to condemn Russia, which launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine three years ago and occupied parts of it since 2014. "The agreement and the participation of the U.S. in the mineral deal would have stabilised relations. Now it is very scary," said Petro, a 20-year-old student. "I think it could have been approached in a more diplomatic way, but from the individual point of view I can understand Zelenskiy because the tone of the dialogue with Trump and Vance indicated it would end like this."
