KYIV, Ukraine — In the outside fitnesscenter on Venice Beach, the name provided to an welcoming stretch of sand on the magnificent Dnieper River that courses through the capital of Ukraine, Serhiy Chornyi is working on his summerseason body, up-down-up-downing a chunky hunk of iron.
The goal of his sweat and labor isn’t to impress the ladies in their brilliant summerseason swimwear. Working out is part of his contribution to Ukraine’s all-hands-on-deck war effort: The National Guardsman anticipates to be sentout eastward to the battlegrounds quickly and doesn’t desire to take his paunch with him for the battle versus Russia’s intrusion force.
“I’m here to get in shape. To be able to aid my goodfriends with whom I’ll be,” the 32-year-old stated. “I feel that my location is there now. … There is just one thing left: to safeguard. There is no other choice, just one roadway.”
So goes Kyiv’s bitter summerseason of 2022, where the sun shines however unhappiness and grim decision reign, where canoodling couples cannot be sure that their kisses won’t be their last as more soldiers head to the fronts; where sweeping swallows are nesting as individuals made homeless weep in blown-apart ruins, and where the peace is misleading, since it’s shorn of peace of mind.
After Russia’s preliminary attack on Kyiv was wardedoff in the intrusion’s opening month, leaving death and damage, the capital discovered itself in the rather uneasy position of endingupbeing mostly a spectator in the war that continues to rage in the east and south, where Russian President Vladimir Putin has rerouted his forces and military resources.
The burned-out hulks of Russian tanks are being carried away from the capital’s borders, even as Western-supplied weapons t