100 days of Russian aggression but Ukraine fights on

KYIV, Ukraine – When I first arrived in Ukraine on January 23, the skies were gray and the weather cold. In the depths of winter, it snows in Kyiv almost every day and the sidewalks are treacherously icy. At the small coffee kiosk, little more than a hole in the wall, a young barista whipped up hot lattes and said she wasn’t worried about the prospect of war.  She was far from alone.  

Despite tens of thousands of Russian troops and artillery gathering at the border for what Moscow called military exercises, few people in Ukraine believed Russia would invade their country. There was no sense of urgency, no stocking of food staples, no panic buying. Most people we spoke to hadn’t packed a bag or made any plans to evacuate.  But the signs of conflict were ominous.   

Russia was already fighting a propaganda battle. Slickly produced video from the Russian Ministry of Defense highlighted their military superiority. Footage captured well-drilled soldiers maneuvering sinister-looking mobile missile launchers into position. Russian MLRSs were pictured firing barrages of rockets, frightening images for a potential David versus Goliath battle.