‘Putin’s terror affects everyone’: anarchists join Ukraine’s war effort

A book about 1917-21 anarchist leader Nestor Makhno is held outside a war-damaged building. Photograph: Raj Valley/Alamy

In an unnamed basement bar in central Kyiv, Ukrainian anarchists have created a headquarters where they gather supplies to send to their peers on the frontlines and welcome anarchists from abroad who have come to fight.

It is unusual to see anarchists supporting state structures, but they say taking action against Russia is necessary for their survival. “We are fighting to protect the more or less free society that exists in Ukraine,” said an activist, Dmytro. “Without which there would be no space for activism or underground movements.”