'Yes, we need hands': Kitchen pops up in Ukraine's capital

Food, water and medicine grew rarer in Ukraine on Monday, well into the second week of war with Russia

KYIV, Ukraine -- The field kitchen at a makeshift camp in Ukraine’s capital was a hive of activity Monday, giving volunteers a way to contribute to the war effort -- and providing a much-needed distraction from the harrowing news about Russia’s escalating invasion.

A woman identified only as Oksana, whose husband is fighting in the Ukrainian army, said the kitchen duty gives her a way to avoid the latest developments.

“I got information that people need help in the kitchen,” she said from the tent village that had sprung up between a multi-story building and a barrier made of stacked tires and sandbags. “I came and asked, and they said: ‘Yes, we need hands.’ That’s it, and we are not sitting and reading terrifying messages on news channels.”

Another volunteer at the kitchen, Oleksiy Shevchenko, said: “We are cooking soups, porridge for our military, for civilians and for everyone who needs our help, including hospitals.”