Kyiv’s residents are still in a state of shock and anger as Russian missiles continued to hit the city for a second night and morning.
Many of the Ukrainian capital’s near three million inhabitants spent the night at makeshift bomb shelters in basements and the Metro. Today thousands are trying to leave, repeating yesterday’s scenes of endless traffic jams. Those fleeing the bombing are terrified and confused. Where is it safe to head for now that Russia is invading from three sides and hitting cities also in the west and south of the country? And fuel shortages are only increasing the problems.
Many Ukrainians had taken Putin’s threats as bluff — brinkmanship to win concessions from the West. They did not stock up with fuel and food and now are stuck. “Why are they doing this?” they are asking. “Putin is a maniac, a war criminal! He’s a second Hitler,” is what can be heard from every corner.
Kyiv’s numerous ethnic Russians and Russian speakers, who remain loyal Ukrainian citizens, are also outraged and determined to fight back.
Many people are venting their frustration at being left without sufficient weapons to defend their country by Western friends and supporters. All men of fighting age have been mobilised and today arms are being distributed.
As one of the young journalists on the Kyiv Post told me after a sleepless night in a bomb shelter: “Yes it’s all very well imposing sanctions, but that will take ages to have effect and in the meantime it’s us, our country, that’s suffering and faced with destruction as a European democracy. Give us the weapons. We will fight”.
Today, Ukraine’s besieged population is not sure if it’s being properly heard. But they are hearing rocket explosions and gunfire all around. They hope that the country’s darkest hour may yet become its finest one.
