The situation deteriorates with the passing of the hours, not only at the military level, in terms of combat, but also in terms of the working conditions of special envoys and war correspondents.
(Due to the public interest that the events between Russia and Ukraine arouse, all our coverage of that invasion and related actions will have free access for all readers of EL TIEMPO)
Given the total insecurity that reigns in this capital besieged on all sides by Russian forces -beyond the resistance of the Ukrainian militias and volunteers-, many important chains, such as the German Deutsche Welle, decided to evacuate their envoys.
And the coverage of this conflict – which could also degenerate into a major continental war if NATO forces finally intervene on the ground – is becoming increasingly difficult.
The ‘fixers’ -as the local collaborators are called who usually help correspondents not only by acting as translators, but also by advising stories, characters and events to cover- have become impossible to find. Despite the fact that some had committed themselves in advance -even charging very high prices-, when this total invasion was unleashed that nobody really expected, with unpredictable consequences, they have vanished. “I have an 11-year-old son, I can’t”is the totally understandable answer they give.
Mobility is also impossible, since taxi drivers and drivers also disappeared: many escaped with their families to other parts of the country or even abroad, to Poland and Romania. The only option is to go out on foot, without being able to go too far, given the intermittent bombing alerts that force them to go down to the shelters.
Curfew
It has become even more difficult to tell what is happening in this city under fire, a ghost because everyone is hidden underground, after the new curfew decreed today by the mayor of Kiev, from 5 p.m. (local time) today until 8 on Monday.
The WhatsApp chat ‘Seguridad Kiev’, formed by several Spanish-speaking journalists deployed in different hotels in Kiev to exchange information and make sure, from time to time, that we are all okay, was on fire after the news of the new curfew.
First, because it was not clear if the new curfew was from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. on Sunday, or on Monday. And then because the big question then was whether or not that prohibition also applied to reporters.
“Yes, if you have bulletproof vests where you are clearly identified as ‘Press’ and a helmet, you can move,” was one version. Something complicated anyway because not everyone has that protection.
Then someone said special accreditation was needed to go out on the street, which no one knew how to obtain either.
And later a statement appeared from the Ministry of the Interior -provided by a Turkish colleague- warning the ‘representatives of Western media’, whom he thanked for their work at such a time, that there was no need to go out in any way during the curfew .
Why? Due to the presence of “enemy sabotage groups operating in the city” and because they had not yet been able to establish the principle of who is friend and who is enemy.
That is to say, the classic and extremely dangerous confusion is taking place when, beyond the uniformed men of both sides, there are paramilitary forces, special commandos, volunteers and others, which represent an enormous threat of “friendly fire” episodes.
The same message, however, also had excellent news: it announced that they were organizing for tomorrow, Sunday, “trips for groups of journalists, by request, by bus and under police protection.”
Something that excited everyone, since it meant that they could finally go out and cover the situation with some security. What was the way to join or ask to be on one of those tours? Everyone began to wonder.
But this novelty hours later was frustrated. “Hello! Unfortunately, they cannot work during the curfew that began today Saturday at 5:00 p.m. and ends on Monday 28 at 8:00 a.m., the City Council indicated, when answering a question in this regard. Total frustration.
You practically live underground, in the shelter and not in the normal room, because the attacks have become almost constant
As if all this were not enough, it is not easy to work in hotels either.
They practically live underground, in the shelter and not in the normal room, because the attacks have become almost constant, especially at night. And underground, the connections malfunction, making TV broadcasts, phone calls and the like difficult and sometimes impossible when there are heavy attacks.
Although the good thing is that so far there have been no power outages, which would mean a disaster. Also, in the moments when one is not underground, in the bunker, the watchword is to keep the lights completely off, or, in any case, the curtains of the room hermetically closed.
You have to stay away from windows or lobby windows. And it is not so much because of the danger of a strong explosion shattering the glass, but because the authorities warned the hotel managers something very specific: “The Russians must not know that there are people in the buildings.”
With the same objective and so that the Russians do not find out how many people are underground, a few hours ago on the radio the request was to deactivate the geolocation of cell phones.
Elizabeth Pique
The Nation (Argentina-GDA)
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