Kaliningrad as an isolated zone: the impact of the war in Ukraine on the daily life of the residents of the Kaliningrad region. An introduction to the discussion

ABSTRACT The Russian authorities’ decision to go to war in Ukraine made Kaliningraders trapped inside the EU and forced them to re-organise their daily activities. Successive restrictions and limitations cut off Kaliningraders from the luxury of living a European life. The semi-exclave’s residents are forced to face the new reality which responds to the role played by the Kaliningrad region regarding Russia, the EU and NATO. Once again, Kaliningraders are experiencing the primacy of the exclave’s military character prevailing over the issues important to local communities. The primary objective of this article is to identify the socio-economic impact of the war in Ukraine. The present article is based on the results of qualitative research conducted with residents of the Kaliningrad Oblast.