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I'm in downtown Kharkiv, Ukraine right now (SaaS founder born in Canada). Woke up to explosions at 5 AM this morning. At 12PM still some explosions, can feel th

by _xnmw 5y ago

I'm in downtown Kharkiv, Ukraine right now (SaaS founder born in Canada). Woke up to explosions at 5 AM this morning. At 12PM still some explosions, can feel the ground shaking, but the streets are mostly calm. Went out to buy some groceries, long lines, but everything still works. Police cars are out patrolling in full force, but no signs of unrest. Church bells tolling nonstop. TransferWise is limited to $200 USD transfers but it worked -- Apple Pay worked at the grocery store. Obviously internet and electricity is still up for now, but water pipes have been shut off in many of my friend's places.

originalvichy 5y ago
Good luck and stay safe.
sillysaurusx 5y ago
What was your impression of the grocery store? Were the shelves mostly bare, or pretty full? I heard most stores are mostly out of stock ("only expensive food is left") and that supplies are expected to last 15-25 days, but I was curious if that was accurate. Thanks for the tip about TransferWise -- I wasn't sure how to send money to people. My go-to is usually Venmo, but I haven't tried it internationally.
- _xnmw 5y ago
  Got there at 11 AM, shelves were still half-full, but bread was gone and it was clear everything would be gone by the end of the day.
scrollaway 5y ago
Good luck. My girlfriend is Ukrainian and has been working on her family's evacuation plan as well all morning. There's an interesting contrast between this comment and your previous one from yesterday, and she shares how you feel. She was taken aback by how this "came out of nowhere", even though it really didn't. Up until this morning, she didn't believe an invasion was possible.
- yakshaving_jgt 5y ago
  I left my home in Odessa yesterday evening, spent the night in Izmail, and crossed the border into Romania this morning. None of my friends in Ukraine believed this would happen. I was often met with "Oh… You shouldn't believe everything you see in the media…". I am devastated.
  - altdataseller 5y ago
    Do the border controls there have a place for all the refugees to stay, or are you just expected to find a place yourself?
    - raducu 5y ago
      Romanian here. Our government said we could host up to 500.000 refugees. I doubt we could do that, but I'm sure they have enough spaces right now for all reffugees. The news is that no ukrainian refugees want to stay in romanian provided places at the moment -- they either have relatives/friends where they'll be staying with or they immediately want to go to wealthier countries in Central/Western Europe. That could probably change as more ukrainians flee -- those desperate and those that have no friends or means to travel to other parts. I've seen footage of ukrainian mothers WALKING for two hours to the border with their children, it broke my heart.
      - blobbers 5y ago
        Glad you're geographically in a position where you can help. You should start a gofundme or something on here so that people can send you money to help the people you encounter.
        raducu 5y ago
        https://www.reddit.com/r/ukraine/comments/s6g5un/want_to_support_ukraine_heres_a_list_of_charities/ https://www.reddit.com/r/ukraine/comments/s6g5un/want_to_sup... There are ukrainian charities you can donate to.
melomal 5y ago
Strong people with attitudes to match!
billsmithwicks 5y ago
Christ, stay safe man! If you can go West then do.
Fordec 5y ago
- JimBlackwood 5y ago
  Don’t offend people like that. Everyone’s entitled to their own opinion and views. They can also be wrong without having to be talked down to like that.
  - mobiclick 5y ago
    Perhaps gp could have worded it a bit more kindly, but I think there is value in calling out people who espouse opinions without having sufficient knowledge to back it up. It's people like this who degrade and limit useful discourse. My heart goes out to op and everyone else who has been unfairly effected by this conflict.
  - darkarmani 5y ago
    They didn't just have an opinion, they said it was nonsense.
    - bena 5y ago
      Ok. He was obviously wrong. He made a prediction about the future and was wrong. But to say because he was wrong this time, he "didn't have sufficient knowledge" is just kind of dumb itself. He's probably way more aware of what Ukrainians are feeling about the situation and their opinions on what's happening than we are. You can have a lot of knowledge, but still be wrong. Lambasting people and insulting them for the apparent sin of simply being wrong is the thing that's degraded and limited useful discourse.
- cphoover 5y ago
  This person's family and friends are at risk of harm or death, and here you are concerned with scoring internet points on a forum. Nice...
  - dionidium 5y ago
sasawpg 5y ago
As someone who lived through 4 years of war, my advice is to get out while you still can. As incredibly difficult as it is, it will only get more difficult to leave and it is unlikely to get any easier to stay. I have absolutely no knowledge of the current situation in Ukraine, I'm merely advising based on my own personal experience. To everyone questioning why Ukranian population haven't heeded the warnings from Biden/West and left already - I can only assume you have never been in a comparable circumstance. It is easy for me to suggest/advise people leave, but I know all too well that's easier to type on a keyboard than act on in real life.
- awb 5y ago
  The only thing relatable might be natural disasters and you’re right, despite warnings some get out and some stay.
- sasawpg 5y ago
  > Ukraine announced a full military mobilization and banned adult male citizens from leaving the country. And it just got that much more complicated to leave.
mcguire 5y ago
Why are you still there? 1. Keep your passport on you at all times. It's your best protection against official soldiers (from every side), although it may not help against unofficial militias. Stay away from them. 2. Make sure your embassy knows where you are at all times. You are their problem. 3. If you can, make your way quickly and quietly out of Ukraine. 4. Avoid posting things like this publicly. It draws attention to you and puts the people around you in danger.
- scrollaway 5y ago
  Good tip on the embassy, but beyond that, you should know "getting out" isn't exactly easy right now. There are no flights, a curfew is in place in several cities, all trains and buses are fully booked. If they don't have a car, repatriating any time soon is probably beyond the realm of their possibilities, Canadian or not.
  - lpgauth 5y ago
    Canadian embassy is closed in Ukraine, they have relocated to Poland.
    - mcguire 5y ago
      "Canada temporarily suspends operations in Kyiv. Due to the rapidly deteriorating security situation, the Canadian Embassy in Ukraine has temporarily suspended its operations in Kyiv and moved to an office in Lviv. Canadians in need of consular assistance in Ukraine should contact Global Affairs Canada’s 24/7 Emergency Watch and Response Centre (EWRC) in Ottawa." (https://www.canadainternational.gc.ca/ukraine/index.aspx https://www.canadainternational.gc.ca/ukraine/index.aspx) The EWRC is https://travel.gc.ca/assistance/emergency-assistance https://travel.gc.ca/assistance/emergency-assistance Oh, and here is the Canadians Abroad registration info: https://travel.gc.ca/travelling/registration https://travel.gc.ca/travelling/registration
  - jhatemyjob 5y ago
    Biking will always be an option. If you are in decent shape you can travel over 100 miles in a day.
ecf 5y ago
azinman2 5y ago
Curious - why did you stay in Ukraine despite all the warnings?
- iso1210 5y ago
  Dunno about OP, but the BBC has an interview with a Scottish man in Kharkov, who was unable to leave with his wife and stepson because of "Ukranian bureaucracy" on this ridiculously long URL https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-europe-60454795?ns_mchannel=social&ns_source=twitter&ns_campaign=bbc_live&ns_linkname=62179f40d774c11a4faad985%26Man%20stranded%20in%20Ukraine%20cuts%20interview%20short%20as%20tank%20approaches%262022-02-24T19%3A51%3A40.257Z&ns_fee=0&pinned_post_locator=urn:asset:28c25c41-a102-40d7-86cd-b0a3f596f1bb&pinned_post_asset_id=62179f40d774c11a4faad985&pinned_post_type=share https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-europe-60454795?ns_mch...
- jjulius 5y ago
  Check OP's comment history. Their post from two days ago seems to answer that and was a very enlightening perspective.
pantsforbirds 5y ago
I hope you all are okay! I follow a blacksmithing shop that makes axes and woodworking tools out of Kharkiv and they haven't posted in quite a while. Has me worried for everyone out there

by _xnmw 5y ago

originalvichy 5y ago

Good luck and stay safe.

sillysaurusx 5y ago

What was your impression of the grocery store? Were the shelves mostly bare, or pretty full? I heard most stores are mostly out of stock ("only expensive food is left") and that supplies are expected to last 15-25 days, but I was curious if that was accurate. Thanks for the tip about TransferWise -- I wasn't sure how to send money to people. My go-to is usually Venmo, but I haven't tried it internationally.

_xnmw 5y ago
Got there at 11 AM, shelves were still half-full, but bread was gone and it was clear everything would be gone by the end of the day.

scrollaway 5y ago

Good luck. My girlfriend is Ukrainian and has been working on her family's evacuation plan as well all morning. There's an interesting contrast between this comment and your previous one from yesterday, and she shares how you feel. She was taken aback by how this "came out of nowhere", even though it really didn't. Up until this morning, she didn't believe an invasion was possible.

yakshaving_jgt 5y ago
I left my home in Odessa yesterday evening, spent the night in Izmail, and crossed the border into Romania this morning. None of my friends in Ukraine believed this would happen. I was often met with "Oh… You shouldn't believe everything you see in the media…". I am devastated.
- altdataseller 5y ago
  Do the border controls there have a place for all the refugees to stay, or are you just expected to find a place yourself?
  - raducu 5y ago
    Romanian here. Our government said we could host up to 500.000 refugees. I doubt we could do that, but I'm sure they have enough spaces right now for all reffugees. The news is that no ukrainian refugees want to stay in romanian provided places at the moment -- they either have relatives/friends where they'll be staying with or they immediately want to go to wealthier countries in Central/Western Europe. That could probably change as more ukrainians flee -- those desperate and those that have no friends or means to travel to other parts. I've seen footage of ukrainian mothers WALKING for two hours to the border with their children, it broke my heart.
    - blobbers 5y ago
      Glad you're geographically in a position where you can help. You should start a gofundme or something on here so that people can send you money to help the people you encounter.
      - raducu 5y ago
        https://www.reddit.com/r/ukraine/comments/s6g5un/want_to_support_ukraine_heres_a_list_of_charities/ https://www.reddit.com/r/ukraine/comments/s6g5un/want_to_sup... There are ukrainian charities you can donate to.

melomal 5y ago

Strong people with attitudes to match!

billsmithwicks 5y ago

Christ, stay safe man! If you can go West then do.

Fordec 5y ago

JimBlackwood 5y ago
Don’t offend people like that. Everyone’s entitled to their own opinion and views. They can also be wrong without having to be talked down to like that.
- mobiclick 5y ago
  Perhaps gp could have worded it a bit more kindly, but I think there is value in calling out people who espouse opinions without having sufficient knowledge to back it up. It's people like this who degrade and limit useful discourse. My heart goes out to op and everyone else who has been unfairly effected by this conflict.
- darkarmani 5y ago
  They didn't just have an opinion, they said it was nonsense.
  - bena 5y ago
    Ok. He was obviously wrong. He made a prediction about the future and was wrong. But to say because he was wrong this time, he "didn't have sufficient knowledge" is just kind of dumb itself. He's probably way more aware of what Ukrainians are feeling about the situation and their opinions on what's happening than we are. You can have a lot of knowledge, but still be wrong. Lambasting people and insulting them for the apparent sin of simply being wrong is the thing that's degraded and limited useful discourse.
cphoover 5y ago
This person's family and friends are at risk of harm or death, and here you are concerned with scoring internet points on a forum. Nice...
- dionidium 5y ago

sasawpg 5y ago

As someone who lived through 4 years of war, my advice is to get out while you still can. As incredibly difficult as it is, it will only get more difficult to leave and it is unlikely to get any easier to stay. I have absolutely no knowledge of the current situation in Ukraine, I'm merely advising based on my own personal experience. To everyone questioning why Ukranian population haven't heeded the warnings from Biden/West and left already - I can only assume you have never been in a comparable circumstance. It is easy for me to suggest/advise people leave, but I know all too well that's easier to type on a keyboard than act on in real life.

awb 5y ago
The only thing relatable might be natural disasters and you’re right, despite warnings some get out and some stay.
sasawpg 5y ago
> Ukraine announced a full military mobilization and banned adult male citizens from leaving the country. And it just got that much more complicated to leave.

mcguire 5y ago

Why are you still there? 1. Keep your passport on you at all times. It's your best protection against official soldiers (from every side), although it may not help against unofficial militias. Stay away from them. 2. Make sure your embassy knows where you are at all times. You are their problem. 3. If you can, make your way quickly and quietly out of Ukraine. 4. Avoid posting things like this publicly. It draws attention to you and puts the people around you in danger.

scrollaway 5y ago
Good tip on the embassy, but beyond that, you should know "getting out" isn't exactly easy right now. There are no flights, a curfew is in place in several cities, all trains and buses are fully booked. If they don't have a car, repatriating any time soon is probably beyond the realm of their possibilities, Canadian or not.
- lpgauth 5y ago
  Canadian embassy is closed in Ukraine, they have relocated to Poland.
  - mcguire 5y ago
    "Canada temporarily suspends operations in Kyiv. Due to the rapidly deteriorating security situation, the Canadian Embassy in Ukraine has temporarily suspended its operations in Kyiv and moved to an office in Lviv. Canadians in need of consular assistance in Ukraine should contact Global Affairs Canada’s 24/7 Emergency Watch and Response Centre (EWRC) in Ottawa." (https://www.canadainternational.gc.ca/ukraine/index.aspx https://www.canadainternational.gc.ca/ukraine/index.aspx) The EWRC is https://travel.gc.ca/assistance/emergency-assistance https://travel.gc.ca/assistance/emergency-assistance Oh, and here is the Canadians Abroad registration info: https://travel.gc.ca/travelling/registration https://travel.gc.ca/travelling/registration
- jhatemyjob 5y ago
  Biking will always be an option. If you are in decent shape you can travel over 100 miles in a day.

ecf 5y ago

azinman2 5y ago

Curious - why did you stay in Ukraine despite all the warnings?

iso1210 5y ago
Dunno about OP, but the BBC has an interview with a Scottish man in Kharkov, who was unable to leave with his wife and stepson because of "Ukranian bureaucracy" on this ridiculously long URL https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-europe-60454795?ns_mchannel=social&ns_source=twitter&ns_campaign=bbc_live&ns_linkname=62179f40d774c11a4faad985%26Man%20stranded%20in%20Ukraine%20cuts%20interview%20short%20as%20tank%20approaches%262022-02-24T19%3A51%3A40.257Z&ns_fee=0&pinned_post_locator=urn:asset:28c25c41-a102-40d7-86cd-b0a3f596f1bb&pinned_post_asset_id=62179f40d774c11a4faad985&pinned_post_type=share https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-europe-60454795?ns_mch...
jjulius 5y ago
Check OP's comment history. Their post from two days ago seems to answer that and was a very enlightening perspective.

pantsforbirds 5y ago

I hope you all are okay! I follow a blacksmithing shop that makes axes and woodworking tools out of Kharkiv and they haven't posted in quite a while. Has me worried for everyone out there