It’s already the third week of the Russian invasion – and the scenes that follow are becoming all too familiar across Ukraine.
Cities across the country often wake to the haunting call of air raid sirens and skies filled with trails of rockets, missiles and artillery strikes, like this one from Baryshivka, east of the capital Kyiv.
Russia may have been slow to move into Ukrainian territory, but the shelling was intense.
The Russians say they are hitting military targets – the scene below is from a camp in Kalynivka in the center of the country.
However, Ukrainians say the occupying forces indiscriminately aimed at civilian targets.
One of the hardest hit cities was Kharkiv in the east.
The BBC’s Quentin Sommerville says stepping into the center of the city is almost like stepping into another world. Few neighborhoods have escaped damage of any kind.
The relentless Russian shelling has caused most of the 1.5 million residents to flee.
Queues can still be seen in front of pharmacies, banks, supermarkets and petrol stations in the early hours of the morning as those left behind stock up on supplies, our correspondent says.
A tremendous logistical and humanitarian effort is being made behind the scenes to keep Kharkiv running – these volunteers downstairs are preparing food for the defenders and others who may need it.
And the toll is increasing day by day. Although official figures are patchy, thousands are believed to have died or been seriously injured, with many losing limbs to the shelling.
The situation is said to be dire in the port city of Mariupol, which has been surrounded by Russian troops for almost two weeks.
Authorities say nearly 1,600 have died as a result of Russian shelling alone – and they are unable to collect the bodies amid relentless Russian firepower to force them to surrender.
Not far from Mariupol, another battle is fought to capture the city of Mykolaiv. Cluster bombs were used, but the locals resisted.
Mykolaiv Governor Vitaly Kim, however, does not want to celebrate prematurely, telling the BBC’s Andrew Harding: “We are winning this fight, but not this war.”
Dnipro was first hit on Friday – a day when Russia expanded its attacks from east, where the city is located, to west.
The capital expects the worst. Ukrainian troops have been holding back the Russians on the outskirts for days.
And in the city of Kyiv itself, volunteers have been preparing – digging trenches and erecting barricades. The city is turning into a fortress, says our local correspondent Jeremy Bowen.
Others try to contribute to the effort. Field kitchens have sprung up in various parts of the city.
But for many Ukrainians – women and children only, as men have to stay behind to fight – fleeing has become the norm. In the meantime, more than 2.5 million people have left the country.
The shock is all too real. Here in Moldova, Smadar the Clown tries to lighten the mood with this mock interview with a young Ukrainian girl at a refugee center in the country’s capital, Chisinau.
Culture, too, is haphazardly a victim of war, as can be seen in too many conflicts in this century alone. The picturesque western town of Lemberg has remained untouched so far.
But it is preparing – the checkpoints on the main roads and the soldiers on the streets can be seen by all – but some preparations are taking place behind closed doors, says the BBC’s Joel Gunter.
A huge effort is underway in Lviv’s galleries, museums and churches to preserve the city’s cultural heritage, he says.
Add Comment