Aleksandar Vasovic and Emin Caliskan

KYIV (Reuters – Soldiers raking through charred remains near the truck’s smoldering carcass and a handful of civilians getting fresh air were some of the few signs of life that remained in Kiev on Saturday after a second round of artillery fires.

Russian troops have been bombarding Kyiv, the capital of centuries-old Ukraine, and other areas with cruise missiles.

Many shops closed including food stores. The streets were quiet except for one car. This contrasts to recent columns that choked roads with vehicles as hundreds of thousands flee west.

Serhiy, who is middle-aged, stated that he was able to store food for at most a month and had already started purchasing extra grocery items for his family before the violence broke out.

Serhiy stated, “I didn’t trust politicians that it would end peacefully,” before taking a stroll prior to a curfew which began at 5:00 p.m.

An army of four soldiers stood guard at a checkpoint close to a government building. According to Reuters, the checkpoint was set up near a government building amid reports that there were Russian saboteur groups. Passenger in vehicles had to show their identification documents and keep their hands open, according the Reuters team.

One missile was fired at a building that was being used for residential purposes. On Saturday, gunfire could be heard across the entire city of around 3,000,000 people. The area was heavily damaged in 1941 by Nazi Germany’s invasion.

Soldiers inspected still-warm remains of an abandoned truck near the Kyiv railway station. It appeared that it was carrying ammunition, and some burnt shrapnel. Some soldiers also dug trenches.

An elderly man examined the windows in his home and saw that the wooden frames were bent. The glass had been blown out. He expressed concern that the nearby metro station might be attacked. Residents were prevented from using the metro system by soldiers. It will be used to shelter from fighting and transport people.

MILITIAS

On the edge of the city were men wearing yellow armbands and equipped with assault rifles. They prepared to face the Russians as they approached.

Others wore civilian clothing and carried hunting rifles. Some were likely from neighbour militias or other reservist groups and had camouflage clothes and professional equipment.

Further out in town, Ukrainians queued up at petrol stations and bank ATMs despite the government’s restrictions on gasoline sales and cash withdrawals.

Near Kyiv is Koncha Zaspa where people queued up to obtain water at the pump as well as to shop in local grocery stores.