Daryna Antoniuk

living in Kyiv means plugging your piano into a portable power station so you can practice during blackouts

When my friends ask how I’m doing, I just send them a screenshot from my Letterboxd

i have no electricity, water, or heating, and i spent the night sleeping on the floor of a bomb shelter while it was -15°C outside

just when you think it can’t get any worse, russia proves you wrong

i don’t even remember what warmth, comfort, or safety feel like anymore

Honestly, things in Ukraine are so bad right now that I’m just drifting through the days like a ghost, waiting for things to get even a little better so I don’t completely lose it.

Next time I start wondering why my physical and mental health tanked this past year, just remind me that I spend my mornings counting explosions, running on almost no sleep, and smoking cigarettes on an empty stomach

Spent the night hiding from missiles in the bathroom, got maybe two hours of sleep, and now I’m back in the bathroom drinking my coffee and mentally prepping for a full day of power outages while another wave of missiles flies toward Kyiv.

Three hours of electricity today. It’s just insane. My whole life revolves around the outage schedule now.

I barely have time to charge anything, cook, or even do laundry. And with an awful weather in Kyiv right now, the whole situation feels even more depressing.

Kyiv’s subway at 7 a.m., as Russia launches another large-scale missile strike on Ukraine. The air-raid siren has been going off since 2 a.m

Russian suspect detained in Thailand is allegedly tied to Void Blizzard group More details are emerging about a 35-year-old Russian man arrested by Thai police in Phuket earlier this month with reported help from the FBI.

Suspected Russian hacker arrested in Thailand earlier this month is reportedly linked to a relatively new Kremlin-aligned threat actor tracked as Void Blizzard👇🏻

therecord.media/russian-arre...

But honestly, I’m still so glad to be home, surrounded by my books, vinyls, and the plants that almost died while I was away. Home is home, no matter how tough life here gets.

I’ve been traveling for almost 20 hours from Warsaw to Kyiv, and by the time I finally got home I was completely exhausted — only to realize there was no electricity, so no hot shower and not even a cup of coffee.

How do you describe that feeling when you’re abroad but your city is under a massive missile attack, and instead of feeling safe or lucky, all you want is to be there with your people?

The guilt is overwhelming, even though I’ve lived through dozens of these attacks in Kyiv.

Imagine coming from Kyiv — with its endless blackouts, the buzz of generators, and constant drone attacks — to any other city in Europe. Life here feels so normal, and I feel like an outcast.

My first thought when I arrived in Warsaw was: why is it so bright here?

POV: you wake up in Kyiv to the sound of an air raid siren. the apartment’s freezing, there’s no power, rain’s pouring outside, and you can’t even make yourself a cup of coffee because you have an electric stove

I had electricity for maybe two hours today, and now everything’s dying — my phone, my laptop, my power bank, and honestly…me too.

Kyiv’s been without power almost the whole day. The sound of generators echoes through the dark streets — and even though we’ve been through this before, it still feels surreal.

Ukraine mentality is when you get the alert that a Kinzhal missile’s headed toward Kyiv but instead of running for cover, you sprint to grab your cigarettes.

Trying to romanticize life during blackouts while slowly losing my mind from the cold, endless darkness, and the constant buzz of power generators.

Me: I really need to rest and get my mind off negative thoughts.

Also me: Deciding which Ingmar Bergman movie to watch before bed.

(I went with “The Silence”)

Saturday’s off to an early start this week — I jumped out of bed at 4 a.m. after explosions shook my apartment. Kyiv’s under attack by ballistic missiles….again.

Imagine feeling sad, lost, and heartbroken while living through near-daily missile strikes, awful weather, and endless power outages✨

It feels like if I can make it through this toughest period of my life, I’ll come out a completely different person. Honestly, the only thing that keeps me going some days is wanting to see who that person will be.

POV: You’re at boxing class when the power suddenly goes out — but everyone just keeps punching the bag in the dark, in total silence. There aren’t many things that can catch us off guard anymore.

I just realized that going through a breakup and living through a missile strike feels weirdly similar — you feel hopeless, smoke nonstop and rely way too much on sedatives.

Sometimes I honestly can’t tell the difference between the two.

Three buildings in my neighborhood were just damaged by Russian drones in the last 20 minutes — and the night’s only just beginning…

Those damn drones and missiles. The attack went on almost all night. Mentally bracing myself for a day without power, heating and water.

I’ve officially hit such an emotional low that I’m listening to Mel Robbins podcasts

(I’m literally the last person anyone would expect to do that)

Power outages in my apartment mean I’ve got no water, no heat, can’t use the stove or even boil water, and my internet’s barely working. I’m lying in bed with a high fever, seriously thinking about buying a one-way ticket… anywhere

Went to a fusion jazz session at the bar across the street and thought I was feeling dizzy because their performance was so good. Turns out I actually have a fever — 38°C

But I have no regrets