This morning [February 24, 2022], the streets of Kyiv/Kiev are eerie. They are so quiet. Not even the police cars go patrolling. Occasionally, you hear a loud boom. Your heart sinks as you wonder if it came from the neighborhood next door or maybe from far away. Trucks and planes sound. Hard to tell the difference between their roars. You hope it is some false echo. Loud birds skwak– do they sense…Boom, ka-boom! What was that!

I am watching Kyiv through several live streams, the tweets, messages, and emails of my Ukrainian friends and colleagues. Once, I collaborated on a project to measure Ukrainian fears of catastrophe. We interviewed almost 500 Ukrainians from all over the country, half in Russian and half in Ukrainian. And now…….it happens. Catastrophe!

Most of the airstrikes last night were in the distance, looking to the left of the column beyond the cathedral. That is the location of a military airport, communications center, and some other facilities.

The Ukrainian flag is flying but jets are flying overhead, right over Independence Square.

Noisy! Planes? No that is a big bird flying. Turn around, fool, the plane is high up behind you! Roarrrrrrrrrrrr.

Thunder getting louder. I bet it is thunder.

That shoohhhooohush fills the air. Where is the plane?

Black smoke, spreading like ink in water in the sky in the distance. Here goes the bomber. The Ukrainian flag hangs limp.

The flag unfurls, the few cars really speed up. Hmm, the municipal bus stops for the light. It then roars by on green! Oh Ukraine, you are waking up in this morning! What?

It is morning time in Kiev.

A plane has crashed.

Sirens going off. rrRRRRrrrrrrr! Air raid! I thought it was already going on! This is just like last night. First the missiles, then the explosions, then the sirens! lol

Suddenly, all is quiet. Not even the birds are squawking, sounds harsh like skwak.

I am looking at several live feeds strategically placed around the city. I am trying to interpret the mood and activity as I see them. I exchange messages with friends in Kyiv, and get their feelings in their neighborhoods.

Our best office manager of our research institute was originally from Kharkiv, Ukraine, the frontline of the fighting. We interviewed many Ukrainians on “fear of catastrophe”. “Катастрофическое сознание в современном мире” The research project was conducted with us by the Kiev International Institute of Sociology. It took 7 days to question 454 respondents all regions of Ukraine, in the Crimea Republic and in Kyiv. About half of the interviews were in Russian, and half in Ukrainian.

President Zelensky: “This morning we are defending our state alone. Like yesterday, the world’s most powerful forces are watching from afar.

Did yesterday’s sanctions convince Russia? We hear in our sky and see on our earth that this was not enough.”

A military friend messages, “Russian tactics do not favor fighting in cities. As such, they “rubbleize” cities. Kyiv is one of the most beautiful cities in the world—what more can I say.”

The Chechens were involved in the 2014 conflict. The lessons of that conflict evolved into a new Russian military doctrine of hybrid warfare. It looks like their doctrine results in a mess; (my prediction is that the Russians are going to run into big trouble.) And the Ukrainians and Americans know all about this doctrine. The Ukrainians learned too from 2014.

Somebody named Cyn Marks (?) from the UK (?) messages me: ” Do you think Ukraine has any fault in this? Do you support the Neo-Nazi guard in Ukraine? You’re most likely a government-paid shill. ” Claims that friend in Kyiv hotel stuck his head out the window and reports, “Nothing happening here.” [No longer an active account on Facebook.]

Good grief!