Kyiv Deserted as Ukraine’s Forces Recapture Capital (with VIDEO)

The Media Line Bureau Chief Mohammad Al-Kassim is reporting about Russia’s war on Ukraine on the ground from Kyiv

The Ukrainian capital Kyiv, once a bustling city with a population of about 3.5 million people filled with trendy cafes, bars, and restaurants on wide avenues, has lost half of its population since Russia invaded the country in February.

On Day 40 of Russia’s war on Ukraine, Kyiv is deserted, with half of its population gone.

Weeks of Russian shelling and airstrikes on the city, coupled with the heavy and fierce fighting on the outskirts of Kyiv, have left the city center a virtual ghost town, with few cars and even fewer people out on the streets. The main signs of life are checkpoints manned by soldiers carrying machine guns, or “territorial forces” – armed civilians in military uniforms who stand behind cement barricades and piles of sandbags.

Sandbags protect civilian guards at a Kyiv train station on April 3, 2022. (Mohammad Al-Kassim/The Media Line)

Despite the announcement by Ukraine that it has recaptured the entire Kyiv region, a 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. curfew remains in effect, and many people say it’s still unsafe for them to return.

Maksym Kokhan, 35, sent his wife and two children to her family in western Ukraine because they felt that remaining in Kyiv was unsafe.

“I wasn’t sure that it was safe for my family to stay here; my wife and I decided it was best for her and the children to be with her family. It’s safer there,” Kokhan told The Media Line on Sunday.

Because hundreds of thousands of residents have fled the city, local businesses have lost their workforces and customer base. Supermarkets and neighborhood markets are working on reduced hours of operation.

A deserted street in Kyiv on April 3, 2022. (Mohammad Al-Kassim/The Media Line)

Many who fled the capital have sought refuge in Lviv, a city in western Ukraine about an hour away from the Polish border by car.

Yuri and his wife made the decision to leave after Russian forces occupied Irpin, a suburb of Kyiv. Yuri, 70, says his wife is in frail health and she needs medical attention. They decided to take the long train ride to Lviv, where they are staying with friends.

They both felt it was the right move.