'THERE WAS HOPE FOR CHANGE' DISMAY OVER QUASHED UPRISING

For nearly 24 hours, millions of Ukrainians believed the war with Russia might be nearing its conclusion, the battered country glimpsing the end of Putin's regime.

- Lorenzo Tondo

Then, when Russian warlord Yevgeny Prigozhin called off his advance, the enthusiasm gave way to disappointment and frustration.

"I had positive feelings," said Serhii from Kyiv. "There was hope at first, there was hope for a coup. Hope that it will all be over. Hope that there was going to be a change of power in Russia and a troop withdrawal from Ukraine. Then, suddenly that was it! End of the movie. Nothing happened ... I felt so disappointed."

On Saturday morning, after a night of air-raid alarms sounding over atleast five regions, Kyiv woke up to yet another missile barrage unleashed by Russia. But the story that glued millions of people to their screens was the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, accusing Prigozhin of treason.