“It is bloody hell,” Yana Korniyenko yelled, “I hate Russians so much.”
She was talking to me on the phone from the subway. I could not hear her well, the connection kept being interrupted, and there was a low roar from the hundreds of people around her.
Yana is a Kyiv resident. She experienced firsthand one of Russia’s biggest attacks on civilians in Ukraine on Oct. 10, 2022. On that Monday, Russia launched 84 missiles and 24 drones against Ukraine in addition to 92 shots from multiple rocket launcher systems.
“I was home when the air alert went off,” Yana recalled, “It was early in the morning, and I did not pay much attention right away. I went to the corridor as I usually do when the siren starts hoping to get some work done.”
“Then, I heard the blasts,” she added.
KYIV UNDER ATTACK
Yana, 27, quickly realized the scale of the attack on her home city. She saw tweets from her friends about blasts across the city, and she heard the explosions herself. Her boyfriend, who works as a cultural curator in one of the city’s galleries, was in downtown Kyiv. She called him, but could not reach him. The line was busy.
“I freaked out,” Yana said, “What calmed me down was that I could reach my parents to make sure they were safe. I hoped that their district would not be a target because it takes forever for my grandparents to reach a shelter.”
Yana stayed in the corridor during the explosions. When the noise died down, she rushed to the subway and stayed there for a few hours until the air siren was turned off. The alert that morning lasted more than five hours. During that time, she managed to reach her boyfriend, who was in another subway station closer to downtown.
“The subway was packed,” Yana said, “At first, people were really confused and scared. But after a while, the usual Ukrainian behavior started coming back. People got calmer, even cracked some jokes, and everyone was very nice and cooperative.”
“I, too, tried to be as collected as possible but my blood was boiling,” she recalled, “I was so mad. I still am. God, I hate Russians so much.”
“It is similar to a scooter, but it’s actually a drone,” Yana said, “We recognize that sound now.”
Yana’s alma mater, Taras Shevchenko University, was one of the targets of the bombing. The park in front of it has been badly damaged as well as many tourist and historic sites across the capital. A pedestrian glass bridge that overlooked downtown was also targeted.
“I honestly don’t get the Russians,” Yana continued, “They targeted lots of our electricity grids, but they also wasted half a billion dollars to terrorize our cities, children’s playgrounds, places of no strategic importance. What do they gain from this?”
Yana left the underground after the sirens stopped and checked on her family. Her friends and relatives were safe although many of them had to rush to the closest basement when they heard a weird whirring noise. “It is similar to a scooter, but it’s actually a drone,” Yana explained, “We recognize that sound now. They buzz on the streets before we can actually see them.”
Russia attacked Kyiv the next day, Oct. 11, 2022, as well as the following week, when it once again launched mass strikes against Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure. About 30% of Ukrainian electricity systems have been destroyed. Ukraine uses its electricity for heating and has also been exporting it to the EU. Now, many cities are experiencing temporary shutdowns because the remaining electricity grids cannot keep up with the energy demand.
“The first attack scared me. Then, on the next day, I was more prepared,” Yana proceeded, “And when Russians struck again this week, I was completely organized and collected. I donated to our army to buy more drones a few days ago, I wear comfortable shoes, and I believe in our soldiers.”
She tries to spend less time in the city center, but she has no intention of leaving Kyiv. “I am not okay with these attacks, but I am staying here,” she concluded.
LVIV IN THE DARK
The city of Lviv in Western Ukraine has been under fewer attacks than many other places closer to the frontline. Due to its greater distance from the Russian border, the city has been able to carry out a nearly normal existence throughout the nine months of the Russian invasion. It hosts around 200,000 internally displaced people, is a major logistical center for arms deliveries from the West, and also treats many wounded soldiers and civilians.
Then on Oct. 10, 2022, Lviv went dark.