when they are alone several days for calendar control February 24memory of fate in the collective imagination Ukrainians because it is the date of the president’s arrival Vladimir Putin When he ordered the invasion of his country a year ago, no one thought that Dnipro, one of the most important and most populous cities of the Slavic state, was only 250 kilometers Heading east, the most violent conflict on European soil since the Second World War is taking place at this very moment. cafes open without exceptionand normality preside over the movement of people. central boulevard surrounded by trendy shops and posters famous american chain from fast food restaurants. Locals only agree to talk about their situation when questioned. fearsthey expectations and her predictions About what will happen on this upcoming first anniversary ukraine war.
In Russian, although he promised to stop speaking his mother tongue as soon as possible and to do more in Ukrainian, Serhii Probiholovostudent faculty of computer science At a local university, something is certain to happen on such an important day. “Probably something will happen a big bombing (vs. civil infrastructure); as shown in the past, the Russians love them these dates“, as he guessed, an icy wind blows in the middle of the street and the thermometer points two degrees below zero. “The rockets will fly,” he predicted, before congratulating himself that the city was calm, the electricity was running almost normally, and the houses were heated.
Improbable attack on Kiev
with her, Stanislav Sukhoruchenko student friend share completely Serhii’s predictions agree with his statements and, on a defiant note, Russia’s a new raid against the capital, Kiev, or the country’s second city, Kharkov, just like at this time last year. “I very much doubt anything will happen in Kiev, I don’t think Russia has a chance there because our Army He was prepared to stop an attack from the north,” he analyzes. In recent days, frequent meetings are held among senior officials. Belarusians and Russians experts feared the possibility of reopening this war front. Institute of War Studies He considers such a possibility premature and predicts that if it does happen, it will be by the end of this year.
As the manager of a local television station, Irina Kuzmina His reluctance to speak Russian, despite being the majority language in Dnipro, is extreme, and he warns that any statement he makes about the war in Ukraine will be made in Ukraine. native language from the country. When asked how she felt on the first anniversary of the start of the conflict, this woman says she “has no feelings”. “fear” To the Russians, because he sees this war as “the defense and liberation of the motherland.” she only cares their familiesbefore anything could happen to them.
According to Anatoli, he is an elderly taxi driver who does not reveal his real name and earns his living by collecting passengers. railway station and while getting them to their destination, there are no longer any citizens in Dnipro who are defending or defending Russia. more integration with its powerful neighbor to the east. “There are no pro-Russians here anymore, only those who advocate and prefer to continue the war and take back all the lost lands,” he said. truce“a bad peace“, according to their own nomenclature. But the latter seem to be in the minority and even older people. Leonid Boitenkosupposedly more sensitive to the demands of the Kremlin, which has spent most of their lives under it. soviet governments, They advocate the continuation of the armed struggle. “We cannot surrender territory, too many dead‘ he justifies. The prospect of a Russian military victory worries him very much. ‘If Russia wins, it will transform us. in their slaves; It’s that clear.”