Updates from Kiev

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Paul9856

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Another missile attack on Kyiv this morning, multiple missiles fired from Belorussia (i believe) into the city with explosions about 2 or 3 km (2 miles in American) from us. There are absolutely NO targets of military significance in that are this is pure terrorism.

I saw in the news pictures of a young girl being helped by the ambulance crews but no news of casualties yet.

I know that many peopole in the US are blaming Biden for all the price increases but without him Russian tanks would be at the Polish border by now. Please don't let up the pressure on your representatives

Paul and Alina
 

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I know that many peopole in the US are blaming Biden for all the price increases but without him Russian tanks would be at the Polish border by now. Please don't let up the pressure on your representatives
People in the U.S. always blame the president, for everything. Partly this is just the natural tendency to think that the guy in charge is responsible for everything that happens on his watch, and partly it's politics - which means that the opposing party is always looking for something they can blame the president for. However, most people are reasonably sane. They/we know that presidents aren't omnipotent. If they were, Biden would simply wave his magic wand and the invasion of Ukraine would be over, gas prices would be at the same level as they were in the 1950s, school shootings would never happen, global warming would be reversed, and the whole world would rejoice. President Biden doesn't do all that for one reason - he wasn't issued a magic wand when he was inaugurated. Therefore it's usually effective to respond to people who are dumping on the president with, "So what do you think he should be doing?" Maybe one of these days we'll get really lucky and someone will actually respond to that question with a genius idea. 🤞 Until then, we most certainly will keep the pressure on our legislators to continue providing the assistance you need.

Margret
 

Margret

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Paul9856 Paul9856 , it's been over two weeks since you were onsite - still there?

Margret
Paul9856 Paul9856 , even though you haven't yet responded I note that you were onsite today, around 3 hours ago. We've been worried.

Please, if the two of you decide that you need to leave Kiev and may not be able to check in with us for a while as a result (or if there's some other predictable reason you'll be offline for a time), let us know in advance. (We understand that unexpected things can happen to internet access, especially in a war zone; I'm not talking about that.) We would greatly appreciate it.

Margret
 
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Paul9856

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Hi Margret

Sorry but our life hasbeen pretty busy lately and not really because of the war although that is part of it. We have apartments here. The one Alina was born in, a small studio that she bought before we met as an investment and the big one we bought when we moved back here from England. When the war started our tenants in both the other apartments ran away from kyiv and we let them keep the apartments rent free while paying the utilities. Obviously we went to check to make sure food wouldn;t be spoiling etc and one apartments was in a god awful mess, they even had managed to invite in cockroaches so around about the end of march we sevicted the tenants and had to do a full remodel and that is just now approaching completion but about every 3 or 4 days Alina starts saying "what are we doing", "we will be bankrupt" and so on so I have just gotten more and more exhausted. still good news is we are at the stage of choosing curtains and blinds and this little (55 sq metre) 2 bed apartment will become a kind of holiday home for us.

Sergei and Nastya in the studio apartment are looking after it ok so we are happy there but oh my word time for a rest

Paul
 

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Hello Paul, I'm a new member and just noticed the thread.

I'd like to wish you, Alina, and all the cats of Ukraine my very best.

I'm constantly delighted to see the compassionate way the Ukrainian people treat displaced animals during this brutal agression. Says a lot about character.

International Relations/Foreign Policy was the focus of my university education and a prime interest since early childhood and the situation in Ukraine is, in my estimation, the most critical situation that the free world has faced since WWII.

I stand with Ukraine.

Slava Ukraini! 🇺🇦

Bill
 

Margret

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Paul9856 Paul9856 , ah. That explains a lot - being a landlord is hard work.

When I was a kid my dad bought an apartment building as an investment. Had one apartment where they defaulted on the rent, so he evicted the tenants. When he went into the apartment he discovered that they'd painted the entire apartment black (including the bathtub!), so he had to completely repaint (I think he just replaced the tub). But the other thing he found in the apartment was the puppy they'd left behind when they were evicted. Long haired dachshund mix. One of the best dogs we ever adopted. I hope you gain something of comparable value as a result of all the work you're doing to clean up the apartment you own.

Margret
 

neely

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When the war started our tenants in both the other apartments ran away from kyiv and we let them keep the apartments rent free while paying the utilities.
That was very thoughtful of you but obviously they didn't appreciate it since as you said, they left it in a God awful mess. :eek: But glad to hear the renovation will become a holiday home for Alina and you. Will keep you in my thoughts, stay safe.🤗
 
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Paul9856

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Independence day came and went yesterday in a constant crescendo of air raid warnings, I haven't heard of any missile hits in Kyiv so despite the disruption I can count this as a successful day. Looking forward to winter we have already been told by the mayor to expect heating to be at a lower temperature this year - i am not too worried as normally we only have one radiator turned on, the living room and bedrooms both have an enclosed balcony (lodgair as its known here) which acts as a sun trap so worst case we turn on some extra heat. To my untrained eye it looks like Russia is just about reaching its limit in the Donbass while Ukraine is starting the push back around Kherson - please God let it be true.

Nothing much else to report the girls are still avoiding Danny but the hissing is getting less - We are allowing full access together during the day but separation over night so we get some peace

Love to you all, your families and Kitties

Paul and Alina

Kyiv
 
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