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Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

Putin Is Coming: Is Russia Getting Ready to Crush Kyiv?

T-84 Ukrainian tank. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
T-84 Ukrainian tank. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

Some Kyiv Residents Cling to Normality As Russians Continue Bombardment – On Thursday, a senior U.S. defense official told reporters that Russian forces had moved within 9 miles of the city center of Kyiv, Ukraine. Forces were coming from the northwest of the city, close to the Hostomel Airport. Troops have spent days fighting to encroach further into the center of the city.

Officials confirmed that over 775 missiles have been fired by Russian forces at Ukraine, an increase of 710 on Wednesday.

Life in Kyiv has changed dramatically, with most citizens having already fled and those remaining left without an income, safety, medical treatment, and more.

Half the Population Has Fled

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko told Ukrainian television on Thursday that almost two million people have left the city so far as Russian forces continue their advance. Before the war, the greater Kiev area had a population of around 3.5 million people.

Life in Kyiv has become almost impossible for those remaining, with two hospitals just west of the city bombed recently, according to the mayor. 18 attacks on medical facilities have already been confirmed by the World Health Organization since the invasion began, putting remaining Ukrainian citizens in danger in the event they need immediate medical attention.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy asked during a television address on Wednesday why the Russian Federation is “afraid of hospitals.”

“What kind of country is this, the Russian Federation, which is afraid of hospitals, is afraid of maternity hospitals, and destroys them?” he asked.

Some Businesses Are Trying to Reopen

Three weeks into the invasion of Ukraine, citizens remaining in the capital city of Kyiv are reportedly trying to reopen their businesses and continue life as normal. A report from The Guardian describes how in Observatorna Street in central Kyiv, Ukrainian hipsters were heeding the call of Ukrainian Defense Minister Olekseii Reznikov to restart the nation’s economy.

City hairdressers have begun to reopen, and while there were just a handful of customers in the street – most of whom were young – more business owners are following suit and opening their doors.

Yulia Stets, the head stylist at a salon in Kyiv, told the Guardian that they were only accepting customers via word of mouth, adding that amidst the war there is a growing youth scene so cool that it is being referred to as the “new Berlin.”

Businesses are not, however, getting paid.

“We’re not getting paid,” Stets told the outlet. “Our last salary is all we have. People have to find a way to start working again.”

Restaurant owners in the city have also established a network of more than 100 kitchens that take part in the nation’s volunteer effort, catering for people in need.

Jack Buckby is a British author, counter-extremism researcher, and journalist based in New York. Reporting on the U.K., Europe, and the U.S., he works to analyze and understand left-wing and right-wing radicalization, and report on Western governments’ approaches to the pressing issues of today. His books and research papers explore these themes and propose pragmatic solutions to our increasingly polarized society.

Written By

Jack Buckby is 19FortyFive's Breaking News Editor. He is a British author, counter-extremism researcher, and journalist based in New York. Reporting on the U.K., Europe, and the U.S., he works to analyze and understand left-wing and right-wing radicalization, and reports on Western governments’ approaches to the pressing issues of today. His books and research papers explore these themes and propose pragmatic solutions to our increasingly polarized society.

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