Prolonged war has exhausted Kyiv's residents, leaving no energy for fear or rage, even as Europeans can still protest
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/profile/diana-berg. "In Kyiv, hackers sent fake alerts about a nuclear apocalypse. We hardly noticed | Diana Berg | The Guardian." November 4, 2026. www.theguardian.com
The Gist
After years of war, people in Kyiv are so worn out and so used to danger that even a hacked warning of a nuclear strike barely registered. Staying alive through blackouts and cold takes all their energy, leaving little for fear or for the street protests Europeans can still hold.
Conclusion
After years of full-scale war, Kyiv residents have adapted to constant attack and deprivation so thoroughly that they are too exhausted and too practically prepared to react with fear (even to a fake nuclear alert) or with public rage and protest. Their emotional and physical energy goes into survival logistics.
Premises
- Residents of Kyiv have normalised constant missile and drone attacks, treating them as routine interruptions to sleep and chores.
- Because people rely on their own Telegram channels and real-time trajectory tracking rather than the official app, the hackers' fake nuclear alert went largely unnoticed.
- Martial law restricts freedom of assembly because large crowds in Kyiv are targets for missiles, which physically limits street protest.
- Anger and protest require energy reserves, and these are depleted by repeated blackouts, cold, and the daily work of survival (battery calculations, rationing appliances, fundraising for the front).
- Collective outrage is compressed into minimal gestures (angry emojis, small donations), and people then move on to the next practical task.
- Survival preparedness has become routine: backup batteries, stocked water, warming tents, updated fire protocols, and reflective strips for dark intersections.
Assumptions
- Anecdotes from the author's own household and neighbourhood are representative of Kyiv residents generally.
- Not reacting to the fake alert reflects exhaustion and preparedness rather than other factors such as the alert's low reach or distrust of the app.
- Emotional and physical energy is a limited resource that is depleted by survival tasks.
- The restriction on assembly is not the main reason for muted public anger, and exhaustion is an additional cause.
- Adaptation and normalisation are an accurate description of the population's psychological state rather than a coping mask.