KYIV (Dagbladet): On Friday 3 June, it was 100 days since Russia went to full war against Ukraine. Now we have started writing “Russia” in lower case. We call the Russian Ministry of Defense the Ministry of Insults and Murder. I have stopped writing in Russian when I share updates on Facebook. Now I only write in Ukrainian or English. In everyday life, I also speak much more Ukrainian, despite the fact that Russian is my mother tongue. I have said goodbye to one of my Russian friends and have cut off contact with others. Now I have fewer Russian “friends” than the number of fingers.
One hundred days of war have turned our lives upside down. I’ve never called my mom that often. Unfortunately, this has not been possible in recent days, as the connection does not work. For the third time, the entire Kherson city is disconnected from both the Internet and mobile. This time, the Russians have done it deliberately. Or – maybe some privileged residents are connected out?
BLOODY: 100 days of war in Ukraine – Lieutenant Colonel Geir Hågen Karlsen visited Dagbladet TV’s studio to summarize sea view
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The first reason they have cut the lines out is that they want to stop all contact with Ukraine, so that the Kherson people only get Russian information. For – he who owns the information, owns the world. The second reason is that the Russians want to prevent the inhabitants from sharing information with the Ukrainian forces, in relation to where Russian troops are – and what they do in the city.
Another reason, which is most important to me, is that they are trying to cut off the Kherson people from the Ukrainian banking system. In Ukraine, we do all banking transactions through apps on mobile. It is only possible to do so with Ukrainian phone number. At the same time, the Russian occupiers in Kherson’s citizens are offering to buy unknown SIM cards with Russian mobile numbers. But Ukraine does not allow calls from there. Nor that we call Russia.
In addition, the occupiers require you to present your passport data when purchasing a Russian SIM card. People are sure that the Russians will use this data in a future “referendum”, where people will vote for Kherson to become part of Russia. That’s why mom is afraid to buy a sim card – she wants to be Ukrainian, also mobile. So we have agreed that she will only buy a Russian number if there is only one option. And even then, the only way I can contact her is via internet messaging.
But what scares me even more: Mom can not pay for anything with her card – or withdraw money from ATMs. Right now, as far as I know, she has cash that lasts for a few months. I have no idea what will happen after that. I remind myself that 150,000 Ukrainians are left in Kherson. So my mother is not alone in this situation. I’m glad she’s not alone in daily life. On Thursday I was called via the internet from an unknown Ukrainian number. I tried to call back, but it was not possible. After a few minutes I got a message. It was mom who used her friend’s smartphone somewhere in the park, where they were trying to get online. So I hope I can talk to her again soon, at least via text messages.
UKRAINE: Friday, June 3, is 100 days since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24 – 100 days marked by fear, death, pain and hope. Video: Reuters / AP / Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine / Telegram sea view
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Because of these hundred days of war, I have almost forgotten that we have already arrived in June, which means that summer has begun in Ukraine. Thursday night, here in Kyiv, was the first thunderstorm so far this year. I’ve been waiting for that since April, when they usually come. But it seems that nature somehow protects us. We have all become accustomed to the sound of explosions. The sound of thunder, which is quite similar, can be frightening. But it was not for me. I enjoyed it. The flash light from the lightning and the sound of the thunder roar that followed. And the soothing sound of rain in the background. It told me that life goes on, and that it is stronger than death.
