Kyiv (Dagbladet): Since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, the country’s capital, Kyiv, has been hit by more airstrikes than now.
The flight alarm has gone off at least twice each day for the past 12 days, and many of the alarms have had fatal results.
In one week, at least ten people were killed in two different drone attacks on central Kyiv, but the Ukrainians refuse to be intimidated by Iranian kamikaze planes called Shahid-136.
sarcastic nickname
On the contrary, the citizens of Kyiv gave the drones an ironic nickname:
– They are motorcycles, 37-year-old Miroslav Krez tells Dagbladet.
He owns Squat 17B Café and Bar, located in a backyard just 100 meters from the stadium where an Iranian kamikaze drone struck on Monday last week. The café and bar is on the first floor, Kryzj himself lives upstairs.
When the alarm went off, he didn’t react. Then he heard a high-pitched, choppy sound getting closer and closer. Then hit.
– Pieces of drone wreckage fell in the backyard here. It was better if the attack happened in the morning. Craig says many of our guests sit outside in the evening.
MOPEDS: The people of Kyiv called Iran’s kamikaze planes an ironic nickname: motorbikes. Photo: Hans Arne Vedlog / Dagbladet
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Loud and slow motion
The reason why Ukrainians named Iranian motorcycles Shahid-136 is because of the sound they make.
The kamikaze drone is powered by two propeller blades, and the sound it makes should be similar to a two-stroke engine. Plus, drones are slow compared to missiles and rockets. The maximum speed is estimated at 185 km / h.
The total weight of the Iranian drones is 200 kilograms, including the 40 kilogram warhead. It measures 3.5 meters in length and 2.5 meters in width and is controlled by the Global Positioning System (GPS). It is assumed that the drones cannot change their course after being launched, and therefore the target must be stationary.
It is also uncertain how accurate the drones are.
The stadium that was bombed last Monday is several hundred meters from a university, and even several hundred meters from the SBU.
Ukrainian joke
Throughout the war, Ukrainians showed a great deal of humor in the face of enormous adversities. It’s something that characterizes the Ukrainian people, says Ukrainian expert Arv Hansen, advisor to the Helsinki Committee.
– Ukrainians have a well-developed sense of humor and irony, which has developed over a long period. Hansen, who earlier this fall published the critically acclaimed book Ukraine – History says they don’t take themselves and their enemies seriously and often joke about it. Humans. the war”.
He says this is a way for Ukrainians to deal with dangerous events, but also a way to create unity and motivation.
By making fun of the enemy, the enemy becomes less terrifying and easier to fight, says Hansen.
– Put a lot of shit
Although 37-year-old Craig and many other Ukrainians mock and mock drones, recent drone attacks have brought some seriousness back to Kyiv.
Eight months into the war, we’ve seen a lot of nonsense. Now our skin is thick, but the attacks remind me and many others that the war goes on day in and day out. It also reminds us without the uniform that we have to do more to help, says the 37-year-old.
When the war broke out, Creez invited his staff to live in the bar and café. With a bomb shelter in the building next door, it was attractive to many.
Later, the 37-year-old opened the doors to hungry Ukrainian soldiers. The staff prepared and served the food for free so everyone was served.
Then Kryzj and the nightclub began organizing concerts and exhibitions to raise money for the Ukrainian war effort. So far, Kreiz says, they have collected 2 million Ukrainian hryvnia, which is about 600,000 Norwegian kroner.
It is much easier to live with fear, when you can contribute something, he says.
“Coffee trailblazer. Certified pop culture lover. Infuriatingly humble gamer.”
