Since the beginning of the Russian invasion invasion, the lives of Ukrainians have changed dramatically - they are completely exhausted by the incessant Russian attacks, including due to lack of sleep. ARD tells how this affects people and businesses.
Valentina Masnichenko is a young and ambitious professional - she owns a tattoo studio in Kyiv and employs several tattoo artists. In fact, she is a native of Crimea, which has been under Russian occupation for more than 10 years. She moved to Kyiv as a single mother and built everything all by herself, ARD says. Valentina looks great, although she only sleeps for an hour or two because of the constant air raid sirens, writes ARD in its report from Kyiv.
It's like that almost every night. The sirens sound, and then the air defenses are activated and begin to shoot down the drones aimed at the Ukrainian capital. If it is about rockets, the noise is much greater - it can be heard all over the city. This is everyday life for Ukrainians.
Does performance suffer?
80 percent of clients at Valentina's studio are soldiers. When they come for an appointment with a tattoo artist, they often fall asleep despite the pain. Everyone is exhausted. There are no statistics on how fatigue caused by sleepless nights affects productivity in Ukraine. In the tattoo studio, the mistakes are visible - Valentina says that one of the tattoo artists in her studio is also very exhausted, but concentrates so as not to make mistakes that he cannot fix.
Other Ukrainians find their own ways to rest at least some nights. Hlib Wishlinski told ARD that he simply closes the window and turns on the air conditioner so as not to hear what is happening outside. "I have to be able to work the next day,”, he says.
Since the beginning of the Russian full-scale invasion, life has changed dramatically for many Ukrainians in Kiev - they seem completely exhausted, especially the parents. Most do not hide this, but are determined to cope.
Continuous attacks are part of Russian military strategy. The aim is to completely exhaust the civilian population. The effect is visible to the naked eye - although cafes, restaurants and businesses do not stop working.
Parents of young children bear it the hardest
Olena has a daughter who is in primary school. The two have been visiting a child psychologist, we learn further from the report. The mother told ARD that the nights are especially difficult for the children, who do not manage to fall asleep, and then experience enormous difficulties in getting up and going to school. At night, the family moves into the corridor where it is safer. "We hope it doesn't hit us, that debris doesn't fly in," says Olena about the Russian bombings. "If we go to the bomb shelter several times in one night, we simply cannot work the next day”. In order for them to function at least somewhat, the mother and her two children go down into the bunkers less and less.
Olena is a music teacher. He says he can barely focus when he's at work. Exhaustion from sleepless nights takes a huge toll. Her daughter Ella almost never speaks, says the mother. The girl is in second grade. "The children are tired of this life”, Olena says.
Entrepreneur Valentina also takes her six-year-old daughter to sleep in a closet in their apartment - the reason is that a wall separates them from the windows. The girl admits that she is afraid, but then quickly falls asleep, writes ARD. However, her mother remains vigilant - listening to all the sounds from the night sky above Kiev and monitoring Telegram channels to know what threat is approaching their city. This often continues well into the morning. Valentina admits that after such a sleepless night she has to take a sedative.
The war permeates everyday life in Ukraine. And it cannot be forgotten or ignored.