“Please note that all civilians on the street during the curfew will be considered members of the enemy’s sabotage and reconnaissance groups. Best regards, Hotel Management.” Tensions are high in Kyiv
uspicion that infiltrators had entered Kyiv started almost as soon as the invasion. As reports swirled about exchanges of fire in the city centre and sightings of Russian tanks approaching Kyiv, the authorities began to arm civilians – few of whom had ever held a gun before.
The climate of suspicion is pervasive. Two days after the Russians invaded, a 39-hour curfew was introduced – the authorities said it was part of an effort to make it easier to identify any rogue operators. That Saturday, a sign appeared in the hotel lobby: “Dear Guests, Please note that all civilians on the street during the curfew will be considered members of the enemy’s sabotage and reconnaissance groups. Best regards, Hotel Management.
In one village near Kyiv, a volunteer on patrol wearing military fatigues and a yellow armband, told us that any photography, including a benign snap of people queuing for vegetables, must be approved by a unit based at the village council. Ihor Hrib, a reserve officer in a khaki jersey, commands bands of volunteers across five villages in the Kyiv region from the council building.
New checkpoints are appearing each day, showing the enthusiasm to be active at a local level. We stopped at 16 during a one-hour drive into Kyiv – two had been built in the past day alone. Neither the checkpoints nor the volunteers will be able to stop a column of Russian-armed vehicles, said Hrib. The aim is to slow down Russia’s advance and give volunteers time to warn nearby populations and Ukraine’s army.
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