LIVE FROM KYIV: Ukrainian academic, mother describes preparations while waiting for Russian invaders

Darina Tkancheko is a Ukrainian citizen and academic who has been reporting live from Kyiv and providing ADN America with critical updates about the continuing Russian invasion. She sent this to ADN America editors on Saturday at 11:30 p.m. Ukraine time.

I can't speak, post this:

Kyiv, Day 3 of war. The RUSSIANS and also with the support of BELARUS are attacking. They attack not only strategic places, [but] they [also] attack civilian buildings. 

They kill by shooting civilians, children.  

They attacked an orphanage, a kindergarten, a children’s hospital, an oncology hospital, [and] they kill civilians in their cars. 

That's terrorism. Everything is filmed and recorded by special bodies for international courts.

It is now 23:30 [11:30 p.m.] We are on air alert. I can't record, but I'm going to write to you. Do you want my testimony?

I am sitting in the middle of the apartment, in a corridor. 

We are far from all the windows we are below a basic wall of the building in its arc. 

My children are right in the middle, the youngest is holding my dog ​​Sasha and the oldest is reading the news that comes to us through a special medium that one day I will tell you about.  

On the side, we are with my husband and my parents. In case they start shelling nearby, we'll all cover the kids. Around us, there are mattresses and quilts, as well as other protections.

I am sitting on the floor, I don't feel afraid.  

In my head, I see different images of how to defend my children.  

I have momentary images of where I can with less movement hurt the enemy the fastest. I imagine if [only] I could also stop a tank, as many [others] did today.  

I think… there is no room for doubt.  

Now it's not just about my children, it's about many children, many lives.  I think of all my people. My multinational nation. My beautiful people are brave, stubborn, direct, resistant, and heroic.  

Each one defends the country with what he can and how he can, but we all act together. I still can't tell everything, but when this is all over, I will.

Ukraine resists. It is heroically defending our land…