Martin Malek

While the world discusses the White House, I want to tell you what life is really like for Ukrainians under constant Russian attacks. Last night, I was travelling back to Kyiv. I was already prepared for the possibility of being evacuated from the train. Russia repeatedly attacks Ukraine’s railways, including passenger trains. People are being hunted simply for trying to travel through their own country. We spent six hours in a field at night, freezing, while Russian drones flew overhead. The rain stopped quickly, thankfully, but the cold was unbearable. Shahed drones circled above us. Explosions sounded nearby. We ran into the darkness, across the field, trying to hide so we wouldn’t be killed. People kept asking when the air raid would end, when we could return to the warm carriages and continue our journey. It struck me how difficult it still is to accept that this is our reality. War isn’t just a headline. It’s standing in a freezing field at night with Russian attack drones overhead. Only at dawn, after the attack ended, could we continue. This isn’t a horror movie. This is life in Ukraine. Between drone flights, passengers collected dry branches to help the conductors light the stove and warm the train. People helped each other. I’m deeply grateful to our railway workers, who risk their lives so others can get home. Meanwhile, at the White House, Russian representatives speak about humanity, peace and the value of human life. What hypocrisy. While Washington hears speeches about compassion, Ukrainians hide from Russian drones in fields. While politicians talk about diplomacy, Russia attacks our cities, transport, energy infrastructure and civilians. I believe political decisions that fail to deter Russia have a price: Ukrainian lives. Ukrainian blood is not an abstract statistic for political negotiations. I’m writing this after finally returning to Kyiv, still trying to process last night and calm my body after the cold, fear, explosions and exhaustion. And I’m already preparing for another night. Ukrainian monitoring channels are warning of a possible large-scale missile attack on Kyiv, including ballistic missiles. These are warnings, not confirmation, but we have to take them seriously. We haven’t recovered from one attack before we’re preparing for the next. We don’t need speeches about Russia’s supposed humanity. We need real help: air defence, interceptor missiles and weapons to protect our people. While the world debates politicians’ words, Russia continues killing Ukrainians. There is no electricity at my home in Kyiv. My laptop died from the cold, my power banks are empty, and I’ve run out of drinking water. I don’t know how long I can stay connected. But I’ll keep telling you about our people, our reality, and what it means to live under constant threat of death. God willing, I’ll stay connected and keep telling the truth about how Russia is killing Ukrainians 💔 #UkraineUnderAttack #RussianWarCrimes #ProtectUkrainianCivilians #StandWithUkraine #AirDefenseForUkraine