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Kyiv is slowly returning to normal as restaurants reopen and residents come home from abroad. The Russian military has been forced back from the northern region of Ukraine as a result of fierce resistance from the country’s defenders. Now, the UK’s Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, is pledging more aid and weapons for the Eastern European country.
Russia’s military has reportedly suffered steep enough losses that it is now recruiting new soldiers from the unrecognized breakaway region of Transnistria, a Russian-speaking province that is formally part of Moldova. Recruiters have also reportedly reached out to soldiers who have retired since 2012 to attempt to convince them to reenlist. If this is true, it could signal that Russia is running out of steam in its ongoing war effort.
Russia’s military leaders evidently can’t stomach more fierce fighting around Kyiv. The country’s soldiers have retreated from the region, leaving Ukrainian citizens to pick up the pieces and start rebuilding. The Ukrainian government has rolled out an app to show citizens which stores and restaurants are open, which shows much of the city returning to something resembling normal.
Officials warn that citizens shouldn’t get too comfortable until Russia fully withdraws from Ukraine. The invasion is still ongoing, especially in Eastern Ukraine, so the Russian military could launch renewed attacks against the capital at any time. However, things are quiet enough in the city that people have returned to bars and restaurants–while still obeying the 9 PM curfew.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has committed to more aid to Ukraine, pointing to Russia’s retreat as evidence that the West’s gambit to arm the Eastern European country worked. Ukrainian soldiers battled Russia back despite being severely outnumbered.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other high-ranking officials stayed in Kyiv despite the apparent danger to their lives, signaling their intention to fight to the bitter end.
Jonson has guaranteed the Ukrainian President further World Bank lending, up to 550 million euros. He has also promised Zelensky another 120 million euros worth of military-grade weapons to continue its defense against Russia.
Zelensky has expressed frustration with the West’s hesitance to outfit his men with top-quality weapons and other assistance. While he noted the increased assistance following Russia’s retreat from Kyiv is welcome, it’s not enough yet. “Not yet,” Zelensky told reporters. “Of course, it’s not enough.”
