I Got Reminded Of Mariupol Theatre And Then How Russians Specifically Targeted Vehicles That Were Marked

❗A museum of retro cars in the Kyiv region was destroyed by a Russian drone attack

ik people say you shouldn't read news first thing in the morning or reach for your phone but this is how many times my city was shelled by russians in the last 24 hours (almost each paragraph is a separate case)

I love her theme so much...

On this day, 10 years ago, russian occupation forces, namely the "Oplot" brigade, in an act of terrorism, fired a Grad missile at a Ukrainian checkpoint near Volnovakha when there was a passenger bus. Twelve Ukrainian civilians were killed, and 18 were injured. Russia never admitted guilt or paid for the crimes, the consequences and continuation of which we see today.

This story is more personal for me because I was on that same bus earlier that day, heading from Donetsk city to Volnovakha. If, for some reason, I’d decided to return that day, I could have been one of the victims.

I had to pass by the remnants of the bus a few days later, which was horrifying. Subconsciously, I was expecting this to happen again, only this time to the bus I was in. It didn’t, and I’m still here. Although drones flying above my roof remind me every day that it could be any of us, any time, as long as russia exists.

It wasn’t even the only terrorist act by Russia that felt too close to me. But I’ve talked about this before.

Anyhow, later they completely isolated the russian-controlled (annexed) part of the Donetsk oblast from the rest of Ukraine, banning public transport (like these buses) at first and then essentially banning even smaller private mini-buses, allowing only cars through the checkpoints (to profit from bribes). Then, when covid happened, they banned all civilian movement through the checkpoints, allowing it only with special passes that were impossible to get. So Ukrainians, born and raised in Ukraine, to travel from one Ukrainian (illegally occupied by Russia) city to another, would have to go through russia... if they could.

The world didn't care then - when they were killing us, separating families, isolating us, re-educating, forcing us to get russian citizenships, etc. Now, ten years later, they’re doing the same things on a much bigger scale. If Ukraine falls, they will move forward. They will never stop.

Odesa after russian attack 💔

gentle reminder, it's chornobyl, not chernobyl

Honor, Maksym.

I think about every Ukrainian artist who could have lived a long and happy life and done wonderful things but was killed by russians.

I'm thinking about russian artists who are inherently fascists and state propagandists, and how in the West they are loved and praised.

Indifference to russian crimes, support for russian occupation culture, praising russian artists and justifying their silence about the war - all of this is having a terrible effect on Ukraine now and will have terrible consequences for everyone in the future.

sometimes i think about how i’ve effectively dug myself a grave with this blog. half my internet presence is about being queer and ukrainian, famously two things russia hates the most.

if trump proceeds with the “peaceful negotiations” that happen without ukraine even present, if he pushes to implement another leader in ukraine (meaning, of course, a pro-russian puppet) and makes my country a quote unquote neutral territory, it obviously means occupation. when there are bombs over my head, i’m at least an abstract target, i can rely on luck not to get hit. if russians come to power tho? i’m toast.

i wish i was exaggerating, but this is already happening to people in occupied parts of the country. those who had social media posts in ukrainian, about queer rights, etc. are being seeked out and threatened. my acquaintance was once on call with her friend on crimea, who had weird noises in the background. when questioned, she casually said that they were coming from russian police beating her neighbour for listening to ukrainian music.

i constantly hear from people who miraculously left the occupied territories how they had to delete everything from their phones, because russian soldiers would do random phone searches — both just on the street or when a person tries to leave the occupied city. it’s not uncommon that people get shot over it.

everything about “peaceful negotiations” and “compromises”, trading “land for a peace agreement” promises me a death sentence