KYIV, Ukraine (AP) 鈥� Paintbrush in hand, Anastasiya Sereda is working on a painting of a chubby-faced panda in the uniform of a Ukrainian soldier.
Propped on her easel is the reason why 鈥� a photo of her boyfriend Bohdan, a burly serviceman with a gentle smile.
鈥淗e looks like a panda,鈥� Sereda said in explanation, alternately laughing and choking with tears as she talked about her partner, who was killed almost a year ago on the front line in eastern Ukraine. Taking part in an , she鈥檚 trying to capture her boyfriend鈥檚 humor and heroism, and channel her roiling emotions onto canvas.
Many other Ukrainians also are wrestling with a potent mix of emotions 鈥� including grief, anger, humor, defiance and fear 鈥� as they face a new phase in with growing concern about international support for their cause.
Most remain firm in their resolve to drive out the Russian invaders and decide their country鈥檚 future course. Many also worry that international attention is distracted by the and other concerns, and that and ammunition. Foreign visitors are often told to go home with a message: , especially U.S.-made to close Ukraine鈥檚 skies to the enemy.
There are many grounds for worry. Russia has thrown at Ukrainian lines, forcing Kyiv鈥檚 troops to retreat from several villages along the 600-mile (1,000-kilometer) frontline in the country鈥檚 east and south. Military analysts say Russia is n before fresh supplies of arms reach Ukraine from a approved in April.
Away from the front, air-raid sirens are a routine occurrence in much of the country as Russia attacks with missiles, rockets and drones. Sometimes the attacks hit railways or other infrastructure. Often the targets feel indiscriminate: apartment buildings, hospitals, playgrounds. All mean more lives ripped apart.
鈥淲e really want the world to remember that people are dying right now,鈥� said Valentyna, who works at a power station that has been repeatedly hit by Russian missiles. When air alerts send her to the plant鈥檚 basement shelter, she helps make camouflage netting to send to the troops, threading strips of green and gray cloth on a string frame.
鈥淲hen there鈥檚 a siren you feel better if you鈥檙e doing something,鈥� Valentyna said. The Associated Press agreed not to publish her full name because she works for critical national infrastructure.
Kyiv, Ukraine鈥檚 beautiful capital, is once again a bustling European city with modern conveniences from craft beer bars and hip coffee shops to ride-hailing apps and McDonald鈥檚. Residents have adapted to war, and nowadays, few head for the shelter of the subway when air alarms sound.
But reminders of the dead are all around: in the sea of yellow and blue flags in Independence Square, and the memorial wall outside St. Michael鈥檚 Golden-Domed Monastery, where people leave flowers in front of photos of fallen troops.
As some Kyivites brunched on patios one spring Sunday, hundreds of others took to the streets for a demonstration to demand the release of Azov Brigade troops who were taken captive by Russia after defending the southern city of Mariupol two years ago. The weekly protests aim to ensure the POWs are not forgotten, and draw supportive honks from passing cars.
There鈥檚 a growing gap between those who serve and those who don鈥檛, highlighted by a recent government decision to for conscription-age men outside the country. Though human rights groups have criticized the move, many Ukrainians agree with the government that the move is a question of fairness.
And war also has brought solidarity, throwing together people from all walks of life and turning academics, scientists, writers and many others into soldiers.
Scores of people gathered in Kyiv鈥檚 central Independence Square on a rainy recent afternoon to say goodbye to Nazarii Lavrovskyi, a medical researcher turned army paramedic who was killed in April while helping to evacuate wounded troops.
University friends, fellow scientists from his lab researching antimicrobial drugs and battle-hardened soldiers all fell to one knee on the wet pavement as his coffin was carried from a hearse to the sound of military trumpet and drum.
鈥淗e joined us, and it was strange to see such people ending up in the war,鈥� said Oleksii Palii, a veteran of Lavrovskyi鈥檚 unit, the 112th Separate Territorial Defense Brigade. 鈥淎t first, he couldn鈥檛 cope at all, but later he became a combat medic. He earned tremendous respect from all the soldiers.
鈥淩est in peace, that鈥檚 how it turned out.鈥�
With so much to worry about, many Ukrainians have put fears for the future on the back burner, said Anton Grushetskyi, executive director of the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology. There is concern about what a victory for Donald Trump in November鈥檚 U.S. presidential election could mean, given the Republican contender鈥檚 past praise of Russian President Vladimir Putin. But it鈥檚 not at the forefront of most people鈥檚 minds.
鈥淧eople cannot (predict) their lives in a couple of months, even, because the situation is changing rapidly,鈥� Grushetskyi said.
That sentiment was echoed by Olena Herhel, another member of the 鈥淎live, true love stories鈥� art project, where war widows find support and an outlet for their feelings. She joined the painting group after her husband was killed in the fighting almost two years ago.
鈥淭here is no point in making plans, because no one can say what will happen tomorrow,鈥� she said. 鈥淢y family just tries to get on with the tasks that we have for today.鈥�
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Associated Press journalists Illia Novikov and Volodymyr Yurchuk contributed to this story.
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