Kyiv at War
My previous post showed how normal life perseveres in Ukraine’s beautiful and elegant capital. This post is about the constant reminders in the capital of the War for National Survival, that is now in its 4th year
23 May is Heroes Day in Ukraine. This was at the commemoration on Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square) a.k.a. “The Maidan” on 23 May 2025.
At the Destroyed Military Equipment Exhibition with my new friend Yaroslav, composed of Russian vehicles destroyed during the battle for Kyiv
At the Destroyed Military Equipment Exhibition
The permanent memorial to the heroes of the war, at the Maidan
Each flag represents a fallen soldier, including the thousands of little flags. From the ranks of the International Legion you’ll see flags of the US, UK, Latvia, Turkey, Poland, France, and many more.
Each flag (including the thousands of small ones) represents a fallen soldier. Foreign flags represent the International Legion.
Veterans at the Maidan
Picture of an amputee taken at a field hospital inside the Avtostal steel plant in Mariupol during the vicious battle there in 2022. Completely surrounded and cut off from resupply, the Ukrainian forces held out here for weeks. Some of the POWs were just released in a prisoner exchange after 2.5 years in captivity. They recounted repeated beatings and electrtic shock torture. Mariupol is also where the Russian air force bombed a theatre which civilians were using as a bomb shelter, with the word “ДЕТИ” (“Children”) written in large letters on the roof. Hundreds of civilians were killed.
Memorial to civilians shot by President Yanukovich’s forces during the Euromaidan protests in 2013-14
Anti-tank barriers stacked at the Maidan. They were used during the Euromaidan protests in 2013-14, and deployed again during the Battle for Kyiv in 2022 when Russian forces were just a few miles away.
Roadblocks and guardposts near government offices
Most weekends you will find the leaders of this charity by Kontraktova Square metro station displaying these souvenirs from the front, and soliciting donations to provide comforts for the troops. The government supplies the troops with absolute necessities; this charity seeks to provide extras that make life a little more bearable, based on requests from the troops. It could be edible treats, it could be items that make life in the trenches more comfortable.
In the basement bomb shelter at Dream Kostel in Kyiv, around 1 AM. Half an hour earlier the entire building had shaken, which we assumed was a nearby hit. Finding no damage anywhere near us the following morning, we concluded that we must have felt the vibration of a mobile air defence missile being launched near our location.
Results of the previous night nationwide: 6 Iskander ballistic missiles shot down (these are what really terrify people), and 245 drones destroyed (mostly Iranian Shahed drones), of which 128 shot down and 117 suppressed with electronic jamming. Multiple apps keep citizens well apprised of what’s happening both in their locality and nationwide.
Scanning nationwide air raid alerts as I sip a coffee in my hostel’s courtyard in late morning. Look at the time stamps (all using the 24-hour clock) — Kyiv is almost completely quiet during daylight and early evening hours, but alerts of drones, missiles and artillery fire are coming in all day long from war-ravaged locations to the east. (Most of these apps are free, and if you don’t read Ukrainian you can pay a few Euros per month to have everything automatically translated into English or the language of your choice.)
See all the people on benches and folding chairs in the Underground — the air raid siren had just gone off. Many citizens have spent many nights down here.
I loved this Ukrainian Army recruiting poster in the Metro. It says “We prepare for any and all situations”.
Profile of a current member of Ukraine’s International Legion
The National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War has now been augmented with exhibits from the current war, including this drone exhibit
There is a wall in the museum where anyone can leave messages. This was mine.
In the National Museum of Military History you’ll find a display of this simple, cheap American weapon that made a massive difference during the initial days of the Russian invasion and the Battle for Kyiv — the Javelin Anti-Tank guided missile.
It’s a “fire and forget” missile — as soon as a camouflaged operator fires a missile at a tank (thereby revealing his or her location to the enemy), the operator can run like hell, trusting that the missile will automatically lock on its targe.
But rather than flying straight into the tank’s well-armoured sides, it zooms up, flips over and dives straight down into the vulnerable turret, knocking a multi-million-dollar tank out for a fraction of the tank’s cost.
In the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War, now augmented with exhibits from the Euromaidan violence and the current war
The word “Ukrittya” (“Shelter”) has definitely entered my long-term active Ukrainian vocabulary.