Russia-Ukraine crisis: 'It was 5 in the morning and we were under attack'

A 21-year-old student in Ukraine’s city of Ivano-Frankivsk woke up to the sounds of explosions and air sirens set off by Russian attacks across the country.

At five in the morning, she pulled out her phone to check the news.

“We did not expect to witness an attack in the West of Ukraine. It is far from the Donbas region,” Anastasia Kondrat, a political sciences student at Precarpathian National University, told TRT World.

“People around me are buying food, medicines and packing things in case we are asked to evacuate. Our freedom is under threat but we will defend it.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced a full-scale military operation in Ukraine on Thursday, asking Ukrainian troops to surrender.

Ukraine’s air defences and bases have been destroyed as several civilian airports were bombed, the Russian military said.

Ukraine said its air force has shot down several Russian aircraft in the east. 

Russia has demanded an end to NATO’s eastward expansion and rejected the idea of Ukrainian membership in the US-led Atlantic military alliance.

On Monday, Putin recognised two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region as independent and ordered the deployment of what he called peacekeepers.

In response, Western countries imposed sanctions on Russian banks and individuals.

“We showed that we want to be part of a free democratic world but Putin does not accept our position. They don't accept our independence, language and culture,” Kondrat said. 

Ukraine’s president addressed the nation and asked them to keep calm as he declared martial law throughout the country.

“Today each of you should keep calm. Stay at home if you can. We are working. The army is working. The whole sector of defence and security is working,” Zelenskyy said.

More than 90,000 civilians have been evacuated and settled in the 15 regions of Russia since February 18 from the Donetsk and Luhansk region under the control of pro-Russian separatists in Donbas.

‘There was no panic’

In Kiev, a father of two children received a call from his friends to check on him as soon as he heard the sound of an explosion.

He rushed out to get medicines, groceries and to the ATM to withdraw some cash.

“I saw long queues at the pharmacy and shops and even at the ATM machines but there was no panic,” the father, who wishes to remain anonymous, told TRT World. 

Local media reported that people took cover in the city’s underground stations and other safe places.

“My kids are worried and stressed but I am trying my best to calm them down.”

READ MORE: 'Terrifying' - Ukraine's Donbas residents react to Russian strikes

A 21-year-old Ukrainian journalist said she was mentally preparing for the worst-case scenario for weeks as tensions between Russia and Ukraine escalated.

“My husband and I prepared clothes, money, food, hygiene products weeks before the invasion. We need to be prepared for the worst-case scenario in such situations,” Ouliana Pilipets, told TRT World. 

“My main fear is to lose my husband, my family. If we had kids, we would be losing our minds now.”

Young people from Russia showed little enthusiasm for a large-scale conflict and deemed the attack on Ukraine as “awful”.

The Ukrainian president also urged Russians to come out and protest against Moscow’s decision to attack its neighbour.

“Until yesterday I believed that this crisis wouldn't escalate to the invasion of Ukraine. Just sanctions and information war, not a real one, using weapons,” a student from the Russian capital Moscow told TRT World.

“I have friends in Ukraine, I’m afraid for them. It is just awful. There was no need, no reason for this at all. At least I don’t see a single one.”

A recent survey showed that 50 percent of Russian respondents blame the US and NATO for the worsening situation in Ukraine, while 16 percent blame Ukraine itself and only 4 percent consider Russia to be responsible for escalating tensions. 

Levada Center, an independent pollster, also asked respondents, “How do you think Russians’ attitudes towards Vladimir Putin will change in the event of a full-scale war with Ukraine?” 

Forty-two percent of respondents believed that the attitudes will not change while a third of respondents said it would cause Russians to be dissatisfied with Putin.

READ MORE: What sanctions have been imposed on Russia and will they be effective?

The largest proportion of respondents (42 percent) believe that attitudes will not change. Only 16 percent of respondents reported it would increase Putin’s favorability. 

“I'm shocked by the prospect of a real new war in the middle of Europe. I think there was no reason to attack Ukraine,” Alexander, 20, told TRT World from Moscow.

“Many people believe in propaganda. They will see Putin as a leader who consolidated power and showed the West the power of Russia. 

“There is only one explanation to this attack on Ukraine: It will help Putin to stay in power.”