Kiev. Ukrainians had been warned for the past several weeks that war with Russia was imminent, but when the attack broke out on Thursday, many did not know how to react. Missile fragments pierced the roof of Mikhail Shcherbakov’s residence in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city. Shcherbakov said, “I heard the noise and fell asleep. I realized it was the sound of a cannonball fired.”
Shcherbakov immediately went to wake his mother, and then there was an explosion nearby. Civil defense sirens were sounding in the capital Kiev, but the city’s main street Khreshtyak met with a mixed reaction to normalcy with anxiety and fear. In Kiev in the morning, long lines of cars formed at petrol pumps while other cars were seen moving away from the city. Amidst the uncertainty of where to go, many people took refuge in the subway with their belongings.
“Today was the worst morning of my life,” said Shasa, a resident of Kharkiv. Hearing the noise, Shasa went to the balcony of her residence and came to know that it was not the sound of firecrackers. Plumes of smoke were seen rising in several cities off the eastern border of Ukraine. Some people got scared seeing all this.
A resident of Kiev said, “I am not afraid. I am going to work. The only unusual thing is that you can’t find a taxi in Kiev.” The hotel where several Associated Press journalists were staying was ordered to evacuate within 30 minutes. Outside, guests hurriedly loaded their belongings into cars, while some passersby shook hands at them. Some people on the outskirts of the city were woken up by the sound of the explosion, but others did not hear any sound.
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In the port city of Mariupol, bordering the Sea of Azov, journalists saw scenes of restraint and fear. People waited at the bus stop, looking like they were on their way to work, while others were in their cars in a hurry to leave the city. Sirens began to sound in other cities of Ukraine as the day progressed. People started arriving at grocery shops and ATMs and were seen in a hurry to collect essential items.
Kiev Mayor Vitaly Klitschko appealed to the city’s three million people to stay indoors. He also asked people to keep their bags ready along with essential items like medicines and identity documents. As the crisis escalated, President Volodymyr Zelensky has been appealing for the past several weeks to keep calm and not panic. Zelensky had said Russia would only benefit from showing panic, which had mobilized 150,000 troops along Ukraine’s borders.
As soon as President Zelensky announced the imposition of ‘martial law’ in the country, the people of Ukraine felt that everything could change. Elizaveta Melnik, a resident of Kiev, said, “I am nervous, scared. I don’t know whom to ask for help. We didn’t believe this situation would come.” (agency)