“The hunger war is starting in Kiev.” Federico C., a forty-year-old architect from Calabria, has lived in the capital for fifteen years. And he chose to stay in Ukraine. “My wife already had to flee Donetsk eight years ago. And getting out of here now is not recommended. We are out of petrol and with very little food. Those who tried, in panic in recent days, had to leave the car on the street and remained in the cold with elderly parents and small children ».
Sixth day of the war: the prolonged curfew has been suspended since yesterday morning. You can go out from 7 to 20, but always with a passport. We are checked every two hundred meters. There is not a drop of petrol left in the city. «Those who are lucky like us travel by bike, also to be able to return faster. The sirens sound at least four times a day. And you have to go down to the bunkers ».
Federico works today as an architect and is involved in voluntary work. But he is ready to take up the rifle to defend his family. “The city today is defended not only by the army, which is guarding the center well, but also by the citizens: the men have already collected a rifle at the check point. In the city there are some in every neighborhood, just show your passport and the weapon and several magazines are delivered. Instead, women make Molotov cocktails and build trenches. Each neighborhood has an organization and reference numbers in case of danger. Whoever has no cellars has a bunker to go down to ».
On Monday morning, after four days at home, he tried to go out to stock up on food. “Three hours of queuing everywhere. And, inside the supermarkets, the void. There is no bread, no milk, no eggs and no vegetables. You buy a lot of canned goods. This is the real emergency: it is true that many inhabitants of Kiev have fled, but one and a half million people remain in the city who somehow have to feed themselves ».
Today the main emergency concerns the elderly. “I see so many destroyed by fear, who can’t handle such queues. And unfortunately yesterday I noticed a bad phenomenon: gangs of youngsters roam around Kiev and they steal supermarket bags. Not only that, they break kiosk windows and steal cigarettes and spirits. Now there is also the topic of crime ».
Francesco was born in Calabria, studied in the North then lived in Germany and landed in Ukraine. «Until five days ago Kiev was a little New York. Ukrainians are extraordinarily brave, and I think Putin has badly done him. Also Russian soldiers are fighting a war they do not feel is their own, the parents believe they are doing exercises and do not know that they have already been sent to the front. It is a collective drama ».
Federico is trying to keep calm. “Unfortunately for us that the tension was rising was clear: we certainly weren’t expecting a campaign on Kiev. But panicking is no use now. Leaving the city is not safe, it is better to follow the recommendations of our government to the letter and prepare for defense. Zelenskij is valiantly presiding over Ukraine. Everyone must understand that it is a sovereign state and deserves its independence ». What really frightens us now is the maxi convoy of Chechen troops marching over the city. “And no one thinks of stopping all this?”
Other stories of Vanity Fair that might interest you:
– Ukraine: night in the shelters in Kiev, Russian vehicles close to the city
– Ukraine, “We will spend the night in this bunker, in the cold”
– Attack on Ukraine, protests also in Russian cities
– Ukraine, the cry of civilians: “We are terrified”
– Ukraine, the attack started during the night
Source: Vanity Fair
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