"Inside, the ceiling and walls are completely cracked, offices, locker rooms, gyms, and a medical room are destroyed. Only the entrance is left of the gym. Some of the walls have completely crumbled," says Oleksandr Yegorov, director of the Lokomotiv sports complex in Kyiv. These are the consequences of the Russian missile attack on Kyiv on 23 January.Читати українською

First pet owners with their beloved animals and families with babies arrive. When explosions become so loud that the windows shake, the subway gets filled with families with older children. They spend the night underground and go to school in the morning – the Ministry of Education does not reprimand this.Translated by Tetiana Sykes Читати українською

President Zelensky did not believe a full-scale invasion would happen and talked about barbecues in the spring – and the civilian authorities weren’t prepared for such a turn of events either. When Russia invaded, the government repeated optimistic reports that Ukrainian forces were successfully repelling the attacks. It cost the lives of those who took that message at face value and did not leave the soon-to-be-occupied territories in time. Others even moved to the occupied territories in a naïve hope to sit out the period of hostilities in a quiet area away from Kyiv.Читати українськоюTranslated by Dmitry Lytov & Mike Lytov

It’s 8:30 on Monday morning. The sound of an air raid alarm pierces Kyiv, but since the city has not been hit by the missiles for a long time, people proceed with the start of the working week as usual. Someone makes breakfast, irons clothes and gets kids ready for school. Someone, despite the sirens, is already on the way to work. At the same time, dozens of Russian missiles are approaching the capital. The first explosion is heard — the rocket hit the city centre.