Following another week of intensive and lethal Russian bombardment of Ukraine's cities, a composite image has been doing the rounds on Ukrainian social media. Underneath an old, black-and-white photo of Londoners queuing at a fruit and vegetable stall surrounded by the bombed-out rubble of the Blitz, a second image - this time in colour - creates a striking juxtaposition.
Taken on Saturday, it shows shoppers thronging to similar stalls in a northern suburb of the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, while a column of black smoke rises ominously in the background. Bombs can't stop markets, reads the caption linking the two images.
The night before, as the city's sleep was interrupted once again by the now all-too-familiar booms of missile and drone strikes, two people were killed and nine others injured. The implication is clear. Rather than destroying public morale, Russia's dramatic ramping up of attacks on Ukrainian cities is conjuring a spirit of resilience reminiscent of 1940s Britain. When I visited the market - with the black fumes still billowing from the missile strike on a nearby warehouse - that sense of fortitude was evident. But there was plenty of fear, too.
Halyna, selling dried prunes and mushrooms, told me she saw little cause for optimism. In my opinion, according to the scriptures of the saints, this war hasn't even started yet. It will get worse, she added.
The question of whether Ukraine should fight against or negotiate with an aggressor has been there since Russia annexed Crimea in 2014. But more than three years after it launched its full-scale invasion, the war is entering a new phase, and that word has re-entered the global debate. On the battlefield, fighting has reached a brutal stalemate, and Russia is now increasingly targeting Ukrainian cities far from the front line. According to UN figures, almost 2,000 civilians have been killed this year, bringing the total since the start of the war to more than 14,000.
As Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky navigates conversations with global leaders, the stark differences between various strategies regarding the conflict come to light. While some call for continued resistance, others hint at the complex question of appeasement in international relations, drawing parallels to historical events. The resilient spirit of the Ukrainian people faces an uncertain future as they navigate the impacts of ongoing conflict and the discourse surrounding potential resolutions.
Taken on Saturday, it shows shoppers thronging to similar stalls in a northern suburb of the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, while a column of black smoke rises ominously in the background. Bombs can't stop markets, reads the caption linking the two images.
The night before, as the city's sleep was interrupted once again by the now all-too-familiar booms of missile and drone strikes, two people were killed and nine others injured. The implication is clear. Rather than destroying public morale, Russia's dramatic ramping up of attacks on Ukrainian cities is conjuring a spirit of resilience reminiscent of 1940s Britain. When I visited the market - with the black fumes still billowing from the missile strike on a nearby warehouse - that sense of fortitude was evident. But there was plenty of fear, too.
Halyna, selling dried prunes and mushrooms, told me she saw little cause for optimism. In my opinion, according to the scriptures of the saints, this war hasn't even started yet. It will get worse, she added.
The question of whether Ukraine should fight against or negotiate with an aggressor has been there since Russia annexed Crimea in 2014. But more than three years after it launched its full-scale invasion, the war is entering a new phase, and that word has re-entered the global debate. On the battlefield, fighting has reached a brutal stalemate, and Russia is now increasingly targeting Ukrainian cities far from the front line. According to UN figures, almost 2,000 civilians have been killed this year, bringing the total since the start of the war to more than 14,000.
As Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky navigates conversations with global leaders, the stark differences between various strategies regarding the conflict come to light. While some call for continued resistance, others hint at the complex question of appeasement in international relations, drawing parallels to historical events. The resilient spirit of the Ukrainian people faces an uncertain future as they navigate the impacts of ongoing conflict and the discourse surrounding potential resolutions.
