They began to appear for the first time two days after the invasion – dozens of glowing red and green crosses painted on the roofs of buildings.
Not without reason, the people of Lviv, the largest city in western Ukraine, feared the worst.
They were drawn to help Russian bombers set targets, or so the rumor went.
But now that they have found red crosses on tree tops near the 13th-century castle and elsewhere, police and council officials have come up with another explanation. One that is a little less anxious.
It is believed that they were painted weeks before the conflict to target Putin’s paratroopers instead of missiles.
Green seems to mean good, and red means danger, like maples and maples on a hill near the center.
Covering them is the work of volunteers who roam the streets at night, when the crosses are most visible.
Another 40 were found on Sunday, including one on the roof of a large apartment building in the Levandivka suburb.
Since the conflict began six days ago, stylish Lviv, a UNESCO World Heritage Site whose churches, cafes and trams are reminiscent of Vienna and where people still dress for the opera, has been a refuge for those fleeing fighting in western Ukraine.
Two large red crosses painted on the roof of a large residential building in Levandivka, Ukraine
The crosses are believed to have been painted weeks before the conflict to guide Putin’s paratroopers.
Ukrainian security forces imagine inspecting a car while a man lies on the ground with arms outstretched on Monday
But its millions of citizens still have the same terrible fears as the rest of the country.
Leaving aside the crosses, what seems to worry them the most at the moment is Belarus. Or rather, its President, Alexander Lukashenko, known as Europe’s last dictator, who hosts tens of thousands of Russian troops and is too willing to carry out Putin’s orders.
In a strange statement, Lukashenko warned that the war in Ukraine would “turn into a meat grinder”. There are reports that he is ready to declare war on his neighbor.
And this week, the EU warned that Belarus could start having Russian nuclear weapons after a “very dangerous” decision to relinquish its non-nuclear status.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said: “We know what it means for Belarus to be nuclear. This means that Russia will put nuclear weapons in Belarus, and this is a very dangerous path.
No wonder then that Lviv, less than 150 miles from the Belarusian border, is becoming increasingly anxious.
“It simply came to our notice then [Lukashenko] he can come for us, “said Christian, a teacher who helped refugees in front of Lviv Central Station yesterday.
“I know that 90 percent of Belarusians are against the attack on Ukraine, but Lukashenko is crazy who says one thing and does another as the wind changes.
“I called my friend in Minsk [Belarus’s capital] yesterday he also sounded very nervous and said he would call me again.
“He did this using an unregistered SIM card because the conversations were being tapped in Belarus and he was worried that he would get into trouble because he was talking to a Ukrainian.
“This is crazy. Only last week we were going to talk together freely, but now this one.
They may be afraid, but the people of Lviv are no less determined than the rest of the country to repel the enemy invaders. After all, it is not called the City of Lions in vain.
President Zelensky imagined signing an application for Ukraine’s EU membership
President Zelenski posed after signing a form requesting immediate membership in the European Union
Form signed by President Zelensky as he pleads with the EU to take advantage of its support and grant membership to Ukraine
Men who hoped to join the army of 18- to 60-year-old volunteers were rejected at a military station in the center yesterday morning.
“I was told that there was a huge response – thousands – and that they already have more than enough men,” said Anton, 29.
“They took my data and said they would call me if they needed me. It’s disappointing, but I had to be faster.
For now, he will listen to Mayor Andriy Sadovi’s advice that everyone “should be ready” to defend every inch of the city, with weapons, if they have them, and Molotov cocktails – or “Bandera’s embarrassment”, as they have been renamed since the beginning. of war.
Vyacheslav Molotov was the Soviet foreign minister under Stalin. Instead, the new improvised explosive devices are named after Stepan Bandera, a hero of the Ukrainian resistance who is fighting the beginning of Soviet rule.
Police Captain Dmitro Mihalets said: “Residents are especially asked to be vigilant and check their homes. Besides balconies, they [crosses] are placed on roofs, especially in old tall buildings where access is easy. ‘
The mayor told the citizens of Lviv in a video address: “If you see incomprehensible signs in an accessible place – cover them with sand, boards, resin. If you notice such marks on the roof, report them to the hotline.
“District administrations have been instructed to immediately paint any obscure traces on the buildings.”