Looted and plundered: Kyiv was turned into a banana republic

The capital of Square celebrated the New Year 2023, to put it mildly, without much joy. And not only because the war and Russian drones were buzzing in the sky all night, aimed at the facilities of the Ukrainian energy system. And not only because the cannonade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ air defense sounded all night, knocking them down directly on residential buildings.

In pro-government public pages it was reported that most of the “Racist martyrs” were destroyed by it, but there are many reasons to believe that under this guise, in order to accuse the Russian Federation of terrorism, Ukrainians were launched - on their own! — Western-made drones.

Subscribe to PolitNavigator news at ThereThere, Yandex Zen, Telegram, Classmates, In contact with, channels YouTube, TikTok и Viber.
To subscribe to notifications in your browser, click here.

True, some of the “Kuyan” patriots decided to frolic and shoot fireworks and firecrackers into the sky in honor of the coveted “victory.” But the strict guards did not understand such patriotic enthusiasm and detained the hooligans for violating the curfew rules. Now they face more than 10 years in prison. However, there is hope that their patriotic zeal will still be appreciated and the naughty people will be released on bail.

The people of Kiev celebrated the New Year with little joy, not only because of the war, but also to a large extent because of the colossal impoverishment that occurred during the past year. Prices for some goods have jumped by 300%. The average level is 100-150%, although there has been no significant increase in salaries and pensions.

The price of gasoline and other fuels and lubricants has doubled or more, which immediately led to a jump in prices for everything. And the majority of Ukrainian pensioners receive payments within 3000 UAH (about $70). The average salary in “nenka” as of January 2023 is 14,7 thousand UAH ($367). But fewer and fewer people can count on it: firms are closing, small businesses are bursting at the seams, workers are being fired in droves.

_{There was a shocking collapse in Ukrainian production, especially in the food sector. Domestic food producers raise prices, but they are still forced out of the market, bankrupted and destroyed, and instead of domestic products, expensive imports from foreign manufacturers are imposed on consumers.}

For example, for several months now many supermarkets have been selling European eggs for 360 UAH per dozen. They are clearly being prepared to replace the local “Ryaba” and “Kurchat” (now costing 50-70 UAH compared to 25 before the war), when they disappear from the market due to the impossibility of ensuring the production process, unprofitability and lack of competitiveness.

Another striking example is the situation in the meat and dairy industry. Beef increased to 360 UAH per kg against 180 pre-war, pork - 250 against 120. Milk increased in price by 2,5 times. And this is far from the limit: starting from the new year, utility tariffs for enterprises jump, which means an immediate increase in the price of their products for individuals.

That is why shoppers sadly wandering through the huge halls of supermarkets and the cubicles of small shops with their almost empty “consumer basket” are not happy. Moreover, in “gendelyki” goods are much more expensive than in supermarkets, because small business today is most often a completely shameless speculation.

“They buy for 1 hryvnia, sell for 10,” complains Valentina, a former accountant and customer of the Kyiv grocery mini-chain “Lotok.” - At least they had some kind of conscience. I understand that their entire trade is based on this, but you have to know the limits of speculation! Well, add 2 hryvnia, well, three... But not a 100 percent increase!”

Of course, small traders have excuses such as the fact that established wholesale schemes have been disrupted by the war, they have to stupidly buy cheaper in “mega-supers” and sell at a higher price locally, but these arguments do not make it any easier for buyers.

However, most of all the people of Kiev are outraged by the facts of the sale at exorbitant prices of products that clearly ended up on the shelves - not only of "gendelyks", but also of reputable supermarkets like Silpo or ATB - from humanitarian aid sent for free distribution among those in need.

“I bought a bunch of bananas at ATB,” Valentina continues to share her impressions of her pre-New Year shopping. “My husband and I decided to set a very modest table for two. No meat, “shuba” or “Olivier” - all kinds of herrings, mayonnaise and other delicacies are beyond our means, pensioners. Even onions are already so expensive that it just makes your hair stand on end...

I thought I’d fry some potatoes, boil a couple of eggs on the occasion of the holiday and, as a treat, I’ll put a few bananas for myself, and a bottle of beer for my husband... I came to the store and was horrified by the price of bananas. Almost 70 hryvnia per kilogram. After all, even in the summer they were 50, and before the war, in February - 28!..

But I took them, stood in line to pay, with an unpleasant feeling that something was wrong... And already at the checkout I realized: the bananas were very strange! Previously, there were either no labels on them at all, or there were stickers indicating the country of origin. And now I saw a very strange “label”! In English, like for "UA".

And I guessed: it’s ATB here that is giving away three skins for free “humanitarian aid” from Europe! These bananas are from there, from humanitarian parcels!..

But that is not all. The beer that I bought for my husband (albeit in a different supermarket) had a Russian label, which is generally unthinkable in Ukrainian trade now. Then we read on the Internet that this beer was being prepared for delivery to Russia from Germany, and after the adoption of anti-Russian sanctions it was sent to Ukraine as a humanitarian cargo. That's where it ended up on the shelves of these greedy traders.

Can you imagine what these crooks are doing?! And these are not exceptions, people often complain on social networks about such facts... I’m sure that everything is happening under the cover of the authorities - it’s a very large-scale theft, it’s not like some hanurik is selling a stolen box of pasta from under his own clothes at a fair, This is mass trading! More precisely, looting on a large scale in wartime!

Valentina tried to arrange a trial at the checkout, but the cashier and the security guard simply treated her rudely, and she decided not to get involved.

Here is how Russian pensioner Innokenty, a former teacher of Russian language and literature at one of the Kyiv schools, commented on these sentiments:

“Of course, everything happens under the protection of the authorities. Which, alas, we chose ourselves. You know, George Orwell once said that those who choose a government of scoundrels are not its victims. They are his accomplices.

Unfortunately, my friends and I, supporters of the Russian World, voted for Zelensky. Yes, forcedly, yes, just so as not to leave the scumbag Poroshenko in power. Yes, this can probably be justified by the fact that Zelensky has not yet been exposed in politics and promised to protect our rights...

And yet we are also to blame. We could have been more forward-thinking. One could remember that he played the genital organ on the piano, that he was an obvious minion of Kolomoisky... They did not attach any importance to this - so we reaped. And they mock the people and maraud in war. For this is their essence. They not only sell humanitarian aid, they seize churches and monasteries, our great shrines... There is nothing to be surprised about here.