It feels as though I am living in a movie. Beautiful boulevards normally filled with people enjoying a cup of coffee in a cafe are now barricaded by military. Sounds of explosions and air raid sirens have become the symphony of life here in Kyiv. It as though civilization never happened.
Below is a report I did with NDTV this evening.
Just 6 days ago kids were playing in the park in Kyiv, and now everyone is underground in the dark hoping their water and food doesn’t run out. Ukraine does not have the military capacity to defend itself, while the countries of the West do, but no one is coming to help.
Close to half a million of people have fled the country, but the country’s population is 44 million. The 43.5 million are now losing their mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers.
I met Daria at the Kyiv train station sitting with her daughter, she is in shock. Below is what she had to say.
Daria is one of millions wondering why no one is helping them while they have the capacity to do so. Kids are helping make Molotov cocktails so they can throw them at the coming Russians, while Western giants have the force and ability of a billion Molotov cocktails in their pockets.
There have been two explosions within the past hour In Kyiv. A giant convoy is on the way to the city while the perimeter is guarded by the military and citizens who have just been given a gun within the past five days. Is the world going to sit back and just let this happen?
Today, I walked about in the streets, people are shopping, dining and living life. It can seem shocking as governments and news agencies are declaring that war is imminent and yet people are not panicking. However, what can they do?
People, of course, must carry on with their days. They cannot all leave their homes, lives, families, places of work and jump ship. Imagine that in your own home city or country, news outlets are telling you that you should get ready for bombings and tanks upending your life. But it’s your home. Where else are you going to go?
It’s clear that what happens to your city and country is in the hands of people far, far away. They have concerns you can’t do anything about. In fact, some of their concerns and wants you don’t even understand.
So what do you do, you shop for your grandma’s birthday on the weekend. You continue to plan your wedding, you work on your thesis, you do your homework, you make dinner. You do what you can do, and what you have control over.
Joti Heir 