Day Two - Target Kyiv And Fighting In Odessa

The second day of the war was a continuation of the first where Russian forces seemingly fell short of their initial goal of being firmly entrenched around the capital - Kyiv.

Rocket bombardment commenced in Ukraine with most of the ordinance in Day Two targeting Ukraine's capital.

To the south, the port city of Odessa was relatively calm with no apparent fighting to report.

The Capital has people in their basements or metro system sheltering whereas nobody has had to shelter in Odessa and an official list of available shelters just became available.

For emergency services the one institution here that had little problem to get the word out was Odessa's Orthodox churches who have said if there is bombing or you need food help is available.

At the present time no ships are venturing in or out as Russian naval assets have blockaded the seven ports in the region. Ports where 80 percent of Ukraine's exports flow out from.

Many of the shops which are regularly open virtually everyday of the year are now padlocked and closed.

It is now getting hard to exchange foreign currency for the average person as the few currency exchanges are taking economic advantage of not only their competitors buy the banks closed as well.

There are longer than usual line-ups at the ATMs with people scrambling to get cash.

Cash which in many stores and gas stations remains king as debit or credit cards are not working.

Line ups for ATMs on Friday afternoon were plentiful

Although the streets are now much more noticeably empty the Odessa Transit service as well as private businesses continue to operate.

While on a tram I personally witnessed passengers of various ages argue directly with drivers and refusing to pay the eight Hyrvina fare (approximately 35 cents). Most drivers simply curse out those refusing to pay because with the police tied up with bigger problems they are unlikely to respond.

Transit was still operating on schedule Friday afternoon

The filtered drinking water stations have been having a brisk business with many people lugging away a dozen or more 6 liter bottles away.

Water which they will need if Russia does invade and the predicted cut to electrical, gas and water occurs.

Filling water bottles with filtered water

Schools are now closed for in-class learning but students are expected to participate in virtual lessons.

School Number 26 in the Moldvanka region of Odessa, Ukraine was closed today due to the war but on-line learning was happening

A mid-day drive around Odessa shows the streets to be much less congested as they usually are but the trams or street cars - like the public and private mix of transit - is operational.

The short video below shows what traffic was like on one of Odessa main thoroughfares mid-day Friday afternoon.

There have been large numbers of people fleeing to nearby Moldova or Romania.

In Modova, a non-NATO member country rumored to be next, the country is allowing all Ukrainians free entry plus volunteer groups are participating.

Moldovan volunteers, I one of the poorest nations in Europe, have offered free busses to all Ukrainian citizens who make it to the border. Additionally there is free food and housing to any Ukrainian citizen who cannot afford it.

Social media here is full of questions about men leaving the country. Is it still possible for men of what is considered fighting age to flee the country.

It is now illegal for men 18 - 60 to leave the country as they are expected to fight as part of a general mobilization.

Ukrainian border guards have been stopping men at international borders. Whereas the police have been going right on to busses checking papers and removing men 18 - 60 and telling them “go back and fight.”

In a bit of a twist the people who clean and maintain public sidewalks are still working.

Store shelves were for the most part full and well stocked on Friday afternoon

A major complaint here into Day Two of the war is the lack of up to date information as to what is going on. Above all what has been attacked and where Ukrainian and Russian forces are.

Although this is an opinion only it seems that the lack of clear and timely information has allowed social media to fil the vacuum with misinformation driving fears in the populace.

People are asking not just about road conditions, where the fighting is going on and who is winning but also more ominously what they as civilians should do at the present time but also when and if Russian forces attack.

In a weird twist there really is no linear explanation of Odessa right now as the populace should be hunkering in and preparing for probable hostilities, but in other ways it is life as usual.

With more than a few Odessites believing it will all be over by the end of the weekend the war will be over with Ukraine's pearl of the Black Sea suffering barely a scratch.

Sadly as this piece was being written in the early evening hours 7:30 pm Odessa came under attack and we have a video of anti-aircraft fire and the start of the battle.

From Odessa, Ukraine this is Robert Thomas reporting.