Nicolas Tonev edited by Wassila Belhacine
On the seventeenth day of the Russian invasion, the city of Dnipro in the center of the country was hit by shelling. The civilians of Mariupol are under siege and Kiev organizes itself to face the advance of the Russian tanks. Our special envoy on the spot, Nicolas Tonev, takes stock of the situation in the country.
This Saturday marks the seventeenth day of war in Ukraine. The pressure is growing in the country. The city of Dnipro, located in the center of the country, was the target of bombardments. Russian forces also blockade Mariupol where thousands of people are under siege. The army is also increasing its forces on Kiev: this night, bombardments were heard in the suburbs of the encircled capital.
“The deeper your hole, the longer your life will be”
The capital has turned into war zones and entrenched camps. Where there used to be small checkpoints, there are now big ones with even, on some, armored vehicles brought in as reinforcements. In recent days, a howitzer, a long-range truck, has passed through the center of Kiev. On all the axes of the city, obstacles are arranged to hinder a possible entry of Russian armored vehicles.
To do this, wrecked trucks, chicane trolleybuses on an expressway and even stationary trams that close crossroads are used to impede the advance of enemy forces. Wherever possible, volunteers end up digging trenches, with this Ukrainian soldier adage: the deeper your hole, the longer your life will be…
The highway code is gradually disappearing
Regarding the daily life of the inhabitants, the queues are getting longer and longer in front of the food stores that are still open. The wait was already quite long in front of the pharmacies. The vast streets of Kiev are almost empty, stray dogs isolated or in groups are looking for food. The highway code is gradually disappearing for those who are still driving. Farewell to speed limits, and lights that work are less and less respected… Fanciful misinterpretations are multiplying on all axes.