1270 day of war

Hello, friends!

This week has been quite tense in the country. There was a breakthrough on the Donbas front. At first, the media downplayed the situation, saying it was just a few people and that everything was under control. Later, it turned out there were more than a battalion, they got behind our troops, and because of that, lives were lost.

In the last few days, the situation has improved, since the issue got publicity and the president reacted. From what I know, better units have been deployed there, and the enemy’s advance has been stopped. Sometimes it feels like the front line is frozen and will stay that way forever. But that’s not true - if our forces can’t hold the line, more of our cities will end up in ruins.

After the recent attempt to strip the anti-corruption agencies of independence, and the protests that followed, it seems our government is starting to listen to the people more. In a way, it’s encouraging that we’re really functioning as a state - people have the right to speak out, and the authorities represent their interests.

Before the war, I often took part in rallies in Mariupol. We protested against air pollution from the factories and against corruption, since corruption was one of the reasons nothing changed. We had several factories surrounding the city, and pollution was a big problem. But our protests usually led to nothing more than newspaper headlines. Now it feels different, and if we manage to preserve ourselves as a state, I think we’ll eventually reach a more normal order of things.

Yesterday and today, we followed the Trump-Putin summit. I didn’t expect anything from it, but still - it’s disappointing to watch. What bothered me most was seeing Putin’s smiling face, realizing that this man - the one responsible for the deaths of my friends, for the destruction of my home, for the fact that I’ll never see my city again - was being received so ceremonially, with a red carpet, as if he were a respectable figure, not a dictator waging a meaningless war for amusement. And of course, there was no real talk about ceasefire or new sanctions. That means things will just continue as they are.

It’s frustrating - living with the war only gets harder, and all I want is for the rockets to stop flying over our heads.

Right now, I don’t have any orders, but I’m trying to use this time for things I’ve been putting off. This morning, I managed to go to the lake and swim for the first time this year. I’m not in the mood for much lately, but I did enjoy spending time differently, resting for at least an hour in the morning instead of going through my usual to-do list.

Also, an acquaintance of my father needed help with a website, so I took the chance and am now trying to complete his task. At the moment, Nastya is doing embroidery and I’m out of regular work, so I’m trying to grab onto any opportunity and I’m glad that at least some exist.

Thank you all so much for your support - I truly appreciate it. And a special thank you for the help on BuyMeACoffee. Thank you!