As tensions rise, weapons training, free coffee for army volunteers and an invasion party are helping people to cope in Kyiv
Dymtro Hurin, a member of Ukraine’s parliament, was a pacifist until Friday, when he signed up for weapons training. “I decided the moment is now,” he said over a coffee at a chic central Kyiv cafe, where tables were still crowded with shoppers taking a break and young workers on laptops. “I need to know how to shoot. It’s a useful skill.”
Ukraine’s capital is poised between normality and horror after a warning from US president Joe Biden that it could be directly targeted during a “catastrophic” Russian invasion. Hurin is one of millions of people trying to decide what they should do if war comes to their doorstep.
