Ww2 tank battles on youtube full#

For some of them this was a second or third war-induced displacement: they were first forced to flee occupied Donbas in 2014-15 and resettled in nearby Bakhmut, Slavyansk, Kramatorsk, Sieverdonetsk and other towns. I had a chance to visit with some of my old friends from my native Donbas who had recently relocated to Kyiv. After Ukrainians forced the Russians to retreat in early April, Kyiv has been perceived as a relatively safe area, prompting the return of many of its residents, as well as becoming a destination for many people fleeing eastern and southern Ukraine, where fighting is the heaviest. When Kyiv and the surrounding areas were under Russia’s air and ground attacks in February-March, many people fled. So, Kyiv was tense, but more vibrant than one would expect. The next day, a Russian missile landed in a crowded shopping center in Kremenchuk, in central Ukraine, outside what we would consider “active war zone” parameters, however loose those parameters are under current circumstances. I was there right after an apartment and a kindergarten in downtown Kyiv were hit by a Russian missile – a first direct strike on Kyiv after several weeks of quiet. Olena Lennon, Ph.D., at a Russian tank graveyard in Kyiv region, Ukraine. Many stores and restaurants closed much earlier to allow their employees to catch public transportation home.

However, due to a strictly enforced nation-wide curfew in Ukraine, all hustle and bustle stops at 11 p.m., including taxi services. Lviv has always been one of the most visual meccas of Ukrainian culture and patriotism, but is even more so now. From conversations on the streets and IDP (internally displaced persons) assistance centers throughout the city to Ukrainian patriotic signs, symbols, and souvenir shops and to uniformed soldiers and local militias out on the streets, war was palpable. But the entire city visibly lived and breathed war.

Ww2 tank battles on youtube full#

So, this relatively small, historic town with cobblestone streets has literally been bursting at the seams since March.Īll cafes, restaurants, and stores were full and seemingly thriving in the new normal. Many international news agencies and organizations operated out of Lviv when the offensive started. When the war started, many Ukrainians flocked to Lviv, as it was both a transit hub for those continuing their travels abroad and a relatively safe destination within Ukraine’s borders. But the city had visibly transformed from when I was there last, pre-invasion. no air raid sirens) when I was there in late June and early July. In fact, most people I met on my travels from Poland to Ukraine were going back to the southern port city of Odesa, where Russian shelling attacks had intensified significantly. What surprised me was how many people were returning (or had returned) to Ukraine despite those risks. Ukraine’s air defense systems have been rather effective at intercepting most Russian missiles outside active combat areas, but not all. As a result, even in regions as far west as Lviv, air raid sirens can be frequent. Despite the fact that active fighting has been concentrated in the eastern and southern regions of Ukraine, the entire country has been subjected to Russian missile strikes since Russia launched a large-scale offensive on the 24th of February.

Olena Lennon, Ph.D.: I first flew into Warsaw, Poland, spent a few days there, then traveled to Lviv, in western Ukraine, and eventually, to Kyiv. Can you tell us where in Ukraine you traveled? What were your general impressions? Renee Chmiel: I know you recently traveled to Ukraine. All photos courtesy of Olena Lennon, Ph.D., July 2022. She shares her experiences in both countries, and discusses Russia's war against Ukraine.īy Renee Chmiel, Office of Marketing and Communications, and Olena Lennon, Ph.D., National Security Practitioner in Residence The Independence Monument on Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square) in Kyiv, Ukraine with anti-tank hedgehogs blocking its main thoroughfare. She also spent time in Poland, which has welcomed millions of refugees from Ukraine. Olena Lennon, Ph.D., who hails from Eastern Ukraine, recently returned from visiting many of her family and friends in her home country.