Kyiv, Ukraine (AP) – In the outdoor gym on Venice Beach, the name given to an attractive strip of sand on the majestic Dnieper River that flows through the Ukrainian capital, Sergei Chorny is working on his summer body, up-down-up- down a large piece of iron.
The purpose of his sweat and hard work is not to impress the girls in their bright summer bikinis. The training is part of his contribution to Ukraine’s military efforts: the National Guard expects to be sent east on the battlefield soon and does not want to take his belly with him to fight Russian invading forces.
“I am here to get in shape. To be able to help my friends with whom I will be “, said the 32-year-old man. “I feel like my place is there now. … There is only one thing left: to defend oneself. There is no other option, only once. “
So is the bitter summer of Kyiv in 2022, where the sun shines but sadness and gloomy determination reign, where couples who tread can not be sure that their kisses will not be their last, as more and more soldiers go to the fronts; where fluttering swallows nest while people make the homeless cry in ruined ruins, and where peace is deceived because it is deprived of peace.
After Russia’s initial attack on Kyiv was repulsed in the first month of the invasion, leaving death and destruction, the capital found itself in a somewhat awkward position to become a largely bystander in the war, which continues to rage east and south, where the Russian president Vladimir Putin has redirected his forces and military resources.
The burnt corpses of Russian tanks are exported far from the outskirts of the capital, even when Western-supplied weapons turn more Russian armor into smoldering rubbish on battle fronts. Cafes and restaurants have reopened, and the chatter and crackling of glasses from their outdoor tables creates a semblance of normalcy – as everyone returns home for curfew from 11pm to 5am, less restrictive than before when Kyiv he seemed at risk of falling.
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Sitting in a meadow and enjoying wine with friends one evening this week, Andriy Bashtovi noted that “there seems to be no war, but people are talking about their friends who are wounded or mobilized.” He recently underwent a military medical examination, which means he may soon be thrown into battle as well.
“If they call me, I have to go to the recruitment center. I will have 12 hours, “said the editor-in-chief of the online magazine The Village, which covers life, news and events in Kyiv and other unoccupied cities.
Air raid alarms continue to sound regularly, screaming in phone download apps, but they are so rarely followed by explosions – unlike broken cities and front-line cities – that few pay much attention to them. The cruise missiles that shattered a warehouse and a train repair shop on June 5th were the first in five weeks for Kyiv. Walks of dogs and parents pushing strollers moved undisturbed nearby, even before the flames died down.
Many, but by no means, all of the 2 million residents whom Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said fled when Russian forces tried to encircle the city in March are now returning. But with troops falling by the hundreds to the east and south, Kyiv’s surreal tranquility is permeated by harsh guilt.
“People feel grateful, but they wonder, ‘Am I doing well enough?'” Snezhana Vialko said as she and her boyfriend Denis Koreiba bought whole strawberries from one of the summer fruit vendors in the city, in neighborhoods where only weeks ago, jumping troops operated checkpoints from sandbags and tank traps.
Now significantly reduced in number and vigilance, they usually swing through the restored noise of car traffic, barely looking up from the time-scrolling phones.
As peace is still so fragile and more precious than ever, many are investing their energy, time, money and muscles to support soldiers fighting what has become a crushing war of attrition to control devastated villages. , cities and towns.
Trained as a chef and now working as a journalist, Vladimir Denisenko prepared 100 bottles of spicy sauce, using his homemade hot peppers to liven up the rations of the troops. He left them with volunteers driving in convoys from Kyiv to the fronts, loaded with mass-funded sights, night-vision goggles, drones, medical kits and other much-needed equipment.
“The whole Ukrainian people must help the army, the soldiers,” he said. “This is our country, our freedom.”
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Hana Archirova contributed to this report.
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Follow the coverage of the AP for the war in Ukraine
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