Sunbathing on terraces, playing in the streets, sitting in cafes: Kiev residents returned to normal life on Monday despite a weekend of heavy Russian bombing, with some saying they had become numb after more than four years of war.
The strike, which lasted from Saturday night to early Sunday morning, was the worst since Russia invaded Kiev in February 2022, killing four people and destroying several buildings in the capital.
According to Moscow, one of the weapons used by Russia in the attack was the Oreshnik hypersonic missile, which can travel up to ten times the speed of sound and is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead.
“We’re used to it,” said Roman, a 36-year-old firefighter who helped clear the rubble of buildings destroyed in the strike.
Sitting at a table near Kiev’s Podil, he told AFP he had learned to adjust mentally after seeing his career repeatedly undermined.
“Emotions took a back seat,” he said, his eyes bloodshot after a long night of working with colleagues.
Behind him, a young man stepped over a pile of charred rubble, careful not to spill his latte macchiato.
-“Life doesn’t stop”-
On one street, children played just meters away from the site of the Russian strike.
“Watch out for the glass!” a woman yelled at them.
One of the buildings damaged in the weekend attack was Kyiv’s Mohyla Academy, a small college specializing in liberal arts.
Mikola, 17, and Maxim, 18, still come to class despite the attacks.
“We didn’t put a lot of meaning into this. Life didn’t stop,” said Mikkola, who only discovered the college’s shattered windows after seeing news reports.
“It has the biggest impact on sleep,” Mikkola said. “I’m used to it, but before, in the beginning, it was very stressful.”
When the city’s alarm goes off, instead of going to an underground shelter, two students “get a good night’s sleep” in a safe basement.
Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko said the attack had caused damage to every region of the Ukrainian capital.
The Albanian ambassador’s residence was also attacked, and the Balkan country summoned the Russian envoy in protest.
Buildings housing the studios of German broadcaster ARD and the offices of Germany’s DW were also damaged, both companies said. Both venues were empty at the time.
– ‘Invincible Mark’ –
Dozens of Kiev residents flocked to support a coffee shop after it was damaged during a strike, queuing to place orders despite the damage.
The coffee shop’s owner, Yevgen Prusak, became a minor figure on social media after serving hot drinks to rescue workers through the shop’s blown-out windows.
“Yesterday I thought I was closing for good,” said Prusak, 35, owner of HOGO Cafe.
But seeing customers come back despite the cafe’s poor condition “made me realize who I was working for,” he said.
In front of the café, 36-year-old Army veteran Demytro sips an espresso even as ashes swirl around him.
He was a little dazed by the sun but looked relaxed despite his building being hit.
“My wife was hiding in the bathroom,” he said.
He said continuing to enjoy life despite the strike was “a sign of invincibility”.
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This article was generated from automated news agency feeds without modifications to the text.
