Day 1,024 of the invasion finds me waking up in Kyiv at 7 in the morning. It’s Friday the 13th, a date that would’ve spelled bad luck in the past. But in this war-torn reality, where daily shelling has become the norm, such superstitions seem trivial. My phone app alerts me to a heightened missile threat, and my partner and I retreat to the safety of the corridor. As we huddle, I read about NATO chief Mark Rutte urging the transatlantic alliance to adopt a “wartime mindset.”
As the air defense system fires its first round, I’m struck by a question: how would you explain this mindset to someone new to this grim reality? What exactly does it mean to think in terms of war?
Let’s break it down from the start. Accept the notion that Russia is the enemy. Everything associated with Russia is part of this threat. It sounds complex, I know. But Russia effectively uses all facets of its culture as tools in their hybrid warfare—sports, ballet, music, literature, art—all serve to spread their narratives. Even the serene Russian Orthodox church could be harboring intelligence agents, ready to swap incense burners for weapons. For those who believe in the concept of the “Russian world,” this realm knows no bounds, extending wherever Russian is spoken and Pushkin monuments stand.
Before launching an invasion, the enemy seeks to destabilize your country internally. They finance local right-wing radicals and parties, stirring chaos not with tanks but with money. Bloggers and so-called “useful idiots” are bribed to cultivate distrust toward your leaders, targeting societal vulnerabilities through content generated by Russian bots and psychological experts.
Teenagers unknowingly become instruments of disorder, as handlers send them on tasks through encrypted messages—be it setting military vehicles ablaze, planting explosives at power stations, or making false bomb threats to schools, all to induce chaos.
It’s almost surreal, but the invader won’t be Putin himself—rather, it will be countless ordinary Russians indoctrinated to loathe your values over decades. Specifics of your political stance, be it leftist or libertarian, will matter little. To Putin’s view of the “collective West,” you are a singular, malevolent entity.
Understanding wartime mindset involves preparing for pre-invasion tactics, where Russia might compile lists of key figures—military, intellectuals, journalists, political leaders—intending to erase those who spark new ideas or lead reservist lines.
Strangely, the greatest risk might lie with your surfers. Aleksandr Dugin, a proponent of the “Russian world” ideology, reserves a special disdain for them. He claims an abhorrence to their lifestyle, considering it highly anti-Eurasian. And he is not joking. Consider this your warning.
A wartime mindset includes having a “bug-out bag”—a backpack containing your life essentials. Keep document copies, family photos, first aid, a power bank, and spare clothing handy—ready to flee at any moment.
Coming to terms with the possibility of war at your home is the hardest part. To lose cherished possessions like heirloom china, family books, photos, or even to leave behind pets during an evacuation—these are real losses.
It feels like war is something that affects distant lands, poorer countries. But the unthinkable can become reality: bombs falling on a European capital in this very century. A wartime mindset acknowledges this stark possibility.
Try as you might to prepare, one day you will awake to the sounds of an attack. You’ll believe it will pass in a few weeks or months. But time will blur. Yet through it all, your love for your country will endure. You’ll cherish the humor, resilience, and rediscover your local cuisine—every dish cooked without power a testament to your nation’s strength.
I sincerely hope this reality never unfolds for you as it did for us.
As 10am arrives in Kyiv, the air-raid alert ends. Russia has launched 90 missiles and 200 drones towards civilian structures, intending to deprive Ukrainians of essential comforts like electricity and heat. It’s all part of a campaign to instill terror, typical of a terrorist state. This is an ordinary morning in our abnormal reality, and collective international will remains insufficient to halt it.
I’ve run out of time to share the most vital advice: kiss your loved ones now, learn tactical medicine, take firearms training, buy a power bank, draft a will, and locate the nearest bomb shelter—not out of fear, but for peace of mind. Just in case miracles don’t occur, and you’re required to adopt a wartime mindset.
– Translation by Maryna Gibson
