A town in the Donbas, 40 kilometres from the front line. Pavlo* is a 22-year-old student who was training to be a lawyer at a university in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city. He spent the first week of the war in the basement of his dormitory as the Russians pounded the city with artillery. The Russians were routed from Kharkiv’s outskirts. Now, his course has moved online, and Pavlo is back in his hometown in Donetsk Region, which like Kharkiv is still regularly the target of Russian missile strikes.
All of this was covered in our introductory small talk on the dating app where we became acquainted. But by now the conversation has moved on to more interesting territory. According to the app, he’s less than one kilometre away, but we can’t meet up. It might be only 9.30pm, but the town is already under curfew. But sexting is a good way to while away the long, cold winter nights when everything is closed and you’re not allowed leave the building anyway.
Buzz.
A video comes through from Pavlo. Based on the thumbnail, it looks like a hot one. But the hotel’s wi-fi isn’t cooperating. I hold my phone up to the window, hoping to catch a better signal.
At that precise moment, there’s a brief flash, then a soft whoomph of air which passes right through my body. Then immediately afterwards, a very loud explosion that shakes the building and sets off all the car alarms in the street outside. About 30 seconds later, there’s a second explosion – more distant, but still very loud.
I go into the corridor. There’s some commotion as a smattering of civilian guests emerge from their rooms. The soldiers that form the vast majority of the hotel’s inhabitants aren’t even bothered enough to get out bed. I don’t fancy making my way down to the bomb shelter, accessed via a sarcophagus-like iron hatch in the floor.
Buzz.
That was close 😕
