U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to pause sharing intelligence with Kyiv has raised fears in major Ukrainian cities that Russian missile attacks could now occur without any warning.
"It will be a catastrophe," Oleh Yeremenov, a fourth-year film directing student, told the Kyiv Independent on the streets of Kyiv on March 6.
"If missiles just start hitting out of nowhere… people will panic."
According to the New York Times (NYT) on March 6, the intelligence-sharing freeze could affect crucial warnings about incoming Russian drones and missiles.
Trump announced the move amid sharply deteriorating relations between Kyiv and Washington, as he strong-arms Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky into acquiescing to his plans for peace talks with Russia.
Compounding the problem, the U.S. has also frozen military aid to Ukraine, meaning crucial air defense interceptor missiles could be in short supply until it resumes.
Shortly after the freeze on March 5, a Russian Iskander ballistic missile struck a hotel in Kryvyi Rih, killing four people and injuring at least 30, hammering home what's at stake when Russian missiles are not intercepted.
"They don't think about the consequences this will have," Stanislav Khmel, a Kyiv resident who is currently unemployed, said.
"I think this will result in more casualties for us, for our people."
In the early hours of March 7, Russia launched a mass aerial attack at civilian energy infrastructure in cities across the country, firing cruise missiles from bomber aircraft, ballistic missiles, as well as nearly 200 kamikaze drones.
Ukraine's air raid alert system, as well as Telegram monitoring channels that the public rely on to know what has been launched and where it is headed, all worked as normal, suggesting Kyiv still has access to intelligence on missiles launched from Russian aircraft.
But several successful hits were recorded, with explosions reported in Poltava, Kharkiv, Ternopil, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Odesa oblasts.
With both the military and intelligence freezes still in place, concerns are rising that the death and destruction caused by Russian strikes could worsen significantly.
People interviewed by the Kyiv Independent said their lives “hinge on” accurate air raid threat data, and the timely sounding of alerts.
"Maybe I will be the one who won't have time to react, and a drone will hit me, my building, or the building of my family or friends," barista Andrii Horbulia said.
Despite Zelensky calling the now infamous Oval Office clash with Trump "regrettable" on March 4, and talks between U.S. and Ukrainian officials scheduled for next week, there have been no clear signals from the White House about when the intelligence and aid freezes will be lifted.
Those who spoke to the Kyiv Independent questioned why the U.S. has made a move that potentially harms civilians so much.
"We just are saving civilian lives (with this intelligence). And if we lose that, then we lose more lives," Yan Nikuliak, a student at Taras Shevchenko University, said.
"Peace will not be attained this way. Never."
Nikuliak's comments reflect a widespread dismay in Ukraine currently, that they are being punished and bullied into a peace process while nothing is being asked of Moscow.
“In such a difficult time, this is an incredibly terrible decision that will only lead to a greater genocide of the Ukrainian people," Daria Pravdyva, a student, said.
Nikuliak addressed Trump directly, saying he thought the U.S. president had made "a big mistake."
"You should reconsider. You will not attain any semblance of peace in such a way," he said, adding: " You need to change your ways now, or there will be no people left to actually enjoy the peace you want in Ukraine."
Some of those interviewed expressed hope that European allies would step up in the short term.
"I hope maybe our friends in the European Union will help us, maybe they will offer alternative ways to replace these capabilities," Khalida Bakhtiyarova, a professor at the National Transport University, said.
But others interviewed were more fatalistic about the threat.
"It has been a long time since I came to live with the thought that I might die at any moment. It's just a thought that is always in the back of my mind," student Yan Nikuliak said.
Alex Cadier
