Freelancer Web Developer: First Days of the War

We knew this would happen. As a Freelancer Web Developer, I knew it starting from February 20, 2014 – when russia first attacked Ukraine, sending its troops onto Ukrainian territory in Crimea.

Then the escalation regularly reached new levels – the capture of cities in the Donbas in April 2014 by Russian soldiers disguised as civilians, and the massive invasion of the Donbas in August 2014 by the regular russian army (AKA Pidars).

The question of “will there be a full-scale invasion” involving tanks and aviation, with bombing of civilian cities by air-dropped bombs and ballistic missiles was replaced by “when exactly will it happen.”

We Knew This Would Happen

And now we know. It happened on February 24, 2022. I cannot say I was completely unprepared. I knew that Khuylo would give the order to bomb civilian cities – because I had seen how he acted in Syria.

Most people for some reason do not want to hear about murders, looting, and rapes of civilians. Be honest with yourselves: did you ever care about the news of Khuylo’s attack on Georgia and the mass killings of civilians in Gori? Or a few years earlier, the mass killings in Grozny (Chechnya)? At least you must have heard about Aleppo in Syria? That’s where chemical weapons (chlorine and sarin) were used against civilians. Who exactly gave such an order – Khuylo himself or his puppet Bashar Assad – is still unknown.

Preparing for the Inevitable

But I repeat – we (Ukrainians) knew that sooner or later Russian bombs would fall on our cities. Was I ready? A month ago, I would have answered that “I was preparing.” What exactly did I manage to do?

• I obtained a gun license, purchased firearms and ammunition, taught my wife and older children to shoot and clean the weapon.
• I bought two Osprey mk4 body armors, which were very convenient for carrying the necessary items.
• I bought 2 motorcycles, taught my wife to drive a car and a motorcycle.
• I purchased 10 first-aid kits – for the car, each motorcycle, each Osprey, and each “emergency bag.”
• I created “emergency bags” for myself, my wife, and my children. I taught them that the medicine in the first-aid kits and the stock of food and water must be constantly rotated.
• I made a supply of food, water, and warm clothes in the garage. A similar supply was stored in my apartment.

All of this was done under the influence of various apocalypse-themed films or shows like Man vs. Wild with Bear Grylls. As a result, I learned to hit a target 15–20 cm in size from a hundred meters, and together with my wife, we could comfortably spend 3 days in the wild with only what could fit on our motorbikes.

Not bad for a Freelancer Web Developer, right?

So up until February 24, 2022, I could claim “I was preparing.” And jumping ahead, I can say – our experience and our supplies helped a lot in the first days of the full-scale invasion of the Pidars. The motorbikes proved to be excellent – small and maneuverable, they allowed us to move much faster than cars. And when the gas stations ran out of fuel, the efficiency of the motorcycles also played an important role.

But was I ready for what happened on February 24, 2022?

No, I not Ready for the Horror

• Could I have been ready for the fact that the occupiers’ infantry would start machine-gunning cars full of refugees?
• Could I have been ready for the fact that the occupiers’ pilots would start dropping bombs on hospitals and kindergartens?
• Could I have been ready for the fact that the occupiers would rape children 7–8 years old?
• Could I have been ready for the fact that the occupiers would kill entire families?

So no – once again no – neither I nor my family were ready for that.

The First Strikes

What is interesting – when I saw Russian rockets falling for the first time, I didn’t immediately realize they were rockets. I think most of you (who are reading these lines – most likely civilians) also would not have realized. I was driving down the highway and saw smoke, and my first thought was: “why are farmers burning grass, it’s prohibited right now?” Even the straight line above the smoke – similar to a jet trail but much darker – didn’t give my brain the signal “this is not farmers.”

Bear Grylls and apocalypse movies do not show what a Russian rocket strike looks like. A moment later, a second trail appeared, and a second column of smoke – only then did I start looking for cover.

Gratitude and Determination

But you know what? Right now, in a break between air raid alarms, I got to my computer just to:

• To thank the clients and customers who helped with words of support, rescheduling deadlines, and even financially. If you want to see my work or hire me, you can check my Upwork profile.
• To say that during constant air raid sirens, it is very important that the brain can switch to something familiar. A dozen lines of code or a blog post are exactly what is needed after several sleepless nights. As a Freelancer Web Developer, this work not only keeps me productive, but reminds me why I do what I do. You can also explore my WordPress plugins if you’re curious about my projects.
• From today on, on all platforms and social networks, I will called of russian soldiers only by the word used by the Defense Forces of Ukraine in their radio communications: Pidars. If any platform or social network bans this word – let it follow the path of the Russian warship.
• To say that we will not just survive, we will win against the russian Pidars.