Ronnie Apteker: Kyiv has become a frontline city

Kyiv has been under drone and missile attack around the clock since late August. Writing from inside the city, the filmmaker behind the Kyiv of Mine documentary series describes black smoke over the skyline, nights in shelters and the exhaustion of people who haven’t slept properly in weeks. Normal life carries on anyway: cafés are open, children ride bicycles, students fill the parks. He contrasts the $1.4bn that Howard Buffett has directed to Ukraine with a White House he accuses of appeasing Putin. He also warns that winter, with Russia targeting heating, power and water, is now the biggest fear..By Ronnie Apteker.Ukraine’s capital is under attack day and night. This intensified, around-the-clock blitz has been going on since the last part of August. The drone and missile strikes take place 24/7, every few hours. Black smoke over the city is common. Trying to sleep is very difficult. People are exhausted. This is pure terrorism. It is like September 11th every day and every night. With no end in sight.I am here in Kyiv spending time with my friends. Trying to support them and we are also working on our Kyiv of Mine documentary project. Before we jump in let me share an inspiring story. Howard Buffett who is 71 years old has been to Ukraine during the war 26 times so far and has spent over 90 days close to the front lines. This man is incredible. He is the son of the famous Warren Buffett and under Howard’s direction they have donated over 1.4 billion dollars to Ukraine during the past 4 years and are helping in so many areas. This man has vision and will. I imagine so does his father. I know Alec is a fan of Warren Buffett. It is hard not be in awe of this commitment from the Buffetts in supporting Ukraine. Perhaps they understand that this war is about good and evil. If the evil wins in Ukraine it will spread, and then God help us all. Ukraine, in my view, is holding the line for Europe and the free world, and is paying the ultimate price.Now before any of you reading this start going off about corruption in Ukraine I will tell you, yes, there is corruption in Ukraine and it makes everyone here angry. It should not be tolerated. But if you look at America, they make the corruption in Ukraine look like a Sunday picnic. So before you start falling for the Russian propaganda and start saying that too much help goes to Ukraine let me tell you, it is not nearly enough. Ukrainians are dying to keep the evil at bay. They are suffering and they are beyond tired. Having said that, they are also brave and they will never give up.Occupation = death. That is what Ukrainians understand. So there is no choice here. They will not live under Russian rule ever again.With the White House paralysed by a President salivating at promised Russian riches, Putin ramps up the genocide of Ukraine, now killing dozens of civilians each day, mostly women and children.The Trump administration recently announced that it has invited Putin to December's G20 summit in Miami. WTF ?! How come this evil war criminal is getting the red carpet invite again? Zelensky should be the one who is invited. Not Putin. That Alaska shenanigan where Trump laid it on thick for Putin resulted in zero, and since then Putin and his war machine have only gotten more brutal.Going back to Howard Buffett - he is demonstrating tremendous will. But his President shows the opposite. Always appeasing Putin and pressurizing Zelensky to concede. The only explanation that makes sense is that Putin has something on Trump, or, Trump and his family thinks they are going to make a lot of money from Russia. That in itself is a mad thought.The mood in Kyiv is hard on the soul. The attacks on Ukraine’s capital do not stop. People are angry, disappointed, sad. And yet, you still see life everywhere: kids on bicycles, people with their pets, couples in love, students in the parks. You hear laughter, you smell delicious food when walking past cool cafes, and there are cars and traffic everywhere. But of course, nothing here is normal.I don’t believe Ukraine is going to fall apart, and I have faith that good will triumph over evil, but if you look at the raw data, things do not look good. Winter is coming soon. That is the big fear. How will they get through the cold season if the heating systems are hit and if the electricity supply is diminished? Can it all eventually stop working? What if the water supply ceases to function and you can’t flush the toilet? Again, no one believes this will happen, but this is what the Russians are trying to do. Putin would kill everyone here if he had the chance. If you are in the West and you are reading this, then understand something: he will kill you too if he had a chance. He and his regime hate all of us in the free world. A world that I believe is taken for granted. Western freedom needs to be fought for.In a recent address Zelensky outlined what is necessary for the war to end, while the US administration says what needs to happen for Russia to win and for Trump and co. to make staggering personal profits. Trump, Witkoff, and Kushner could care less about those being slaughtered by Putin in Ukraine – they simply want to make money.I have hardly slept since I got to Kyiv. The sound of bombs going off is constant, and it Is not easy on the nerves. Lucky for me I am a bit of an insomniac. I never knew this would be an advantage. But it is one thing to struggle to sleep at night, it is another thing spending a night underground, in a shelter, with the sounds of explosions, and the buildings shaking from the blasts. One of the reasons people go down to a shelter is not only to stay safe, but to muffle that sound of the evil thunder. That is something that can give you nightmares (when you do eventually sleep).If you want to get a good view of life in Kyiv this year, then please watch the latest chapter of Kyiv of Mine - The light that remains. After 8 months of work it went live on the 24th of August on Ukraine’s Independence Day:.Being in Kyiv is hard on the nerves and it is dangerous but it is good for the soul. Things here are very black and white. This place gives one something to believe in – something good. If you are in America, say, and you are reading this, then what do you believe in? Is life really all about power and money?Breaking news from this weekend: Trump throws Putin a lifeline and punishes Ukraine. I was reading news from America that said, “US senators call Trump’s Russian diesel decision a “total betrayal of Ukraine”..Read more:.The Economist: A disaster in the White House for Volodymyr Zelensky—and for Ukraine.Reporter: “Ukrainians are suffering from the attacks.” Trump: “I suggest they get a new leader who can make a deal. It’s time for Ukraine to get a new president.”Just when you think Trump can’t stoop any lower, he surprises the world once again. I will guess that Ukraine will not stop hitting Russian oil facilities. But this does put Zelensky under a lot of additional pressure..Sign up for your early morning brew of the BizNews Insider to keep you up to speed with the content that matters. The newsletter will land in your inbox every morning on weekdays. Register here.Support South Africa's bastion of independent journalism, offering balanced insights on investments, business, and the political economy, by joining BizNews Premium. Register here.If you prefer WhatsApp for updates, sign up to the BizNews channel here.

Ronnie Apteker: Kyiv has become a frontline city

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