500 days of war: Journalist speaks on civilian life in Ukraine

A Russian missile attack in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv killed five people on Thursday, July 6. The strike hit a residential building in Lviv, which is about 40 miles from the border with Poland.

The city of Lviv has been a hub for humanitarian aid and refugees since the start of the war, and it has been largely spared from the worst of the fighting. However, Thursday’s attack served as a reminder that any part of Ukraine can be vulnerable to a strike.

Andrew Sweeney, a journalist who lived in Kyiv before the war broke out, has moved back in recent months. In an interview with Straight Arrow News, Sweeney explained that much of life has continued normally in western cities. People go to work, shop and even participate in nightlife.

“According to a recent report, up to 80% — I think it was 80% — of Ukrainians know someone who has either been killed or wounded in this war — myself included, I’ve known people who died,” Sweeney said. “So there’s only so much you can do to escape it, but one mustn’t try and let it dominate your life, either.”

When it comes to the differences in culture since the war began, Sweeney said that people are less divided.

“Everyone is affected, so the cohesiveness of society is something that’s remarkable now,” Sweeney said.