Ukraine News: Ukrainians watch war arrive at their doorsteps | World News – Times of India

KYIV: The missile fragment pierced the ceiling of Mikhail Shcherbakov’s apartment in Kharkiv. In an instant, Ukrainians found that war, after weeks of warnings, had hit home. “I heard noise and woke up. I realised it sounded like artillery,” he said. He jumped from the couch and ran to wake his mother, and something exploded behind him. The missile left a computer and teacup shrouded with dust, instant artifacts of latest war.
Smoke rose from cities, even well away from the country’s disputed eastern border. A morning commute turned into lines of cars waiting at fuel stations or fleeing from the gray and drizzly capital, Kyiv. People with luggage took shelter in the subway, unsure of where to go. Some panicked immediately.
Others clung to routine, with irritation. “I’m not afraid. I’m going to work. The only unusual thing is that you can’t find a taxi in Kyiv,” one resident said, even as air raid sirens wailed.
Many seemed unsure of know how to react. Kyiv’s main street, Khreshchatyk, rippled with anxiety as people checked their phones. Some walked their dogs or waved at friends. “I’m not scared at the moment. Maybe I’ll be scared later,” another said. In Mariupol, the Azov Sea port city that many fear will be the first major target because of its strategic importance, there were similar confused scenes.
As the day progressed, alarm across Ukraine rose. People crowded grocery stores and ATMs, seeking supplies and cash. In Kharkiv, worried residents inspected fragments of military equipment strewn across a children’s playground. Csaba, 27, and his younger brother Tamas, woke to the news of the invasion and set off immediately for neighbouring Hungary. “Don’t want to die,” said Tamas. “It’s clear that those who can. . . they flee. ”