100 % true. I lived quite a few years in Kyiv and - especially before the Maidan revolution and meeting my wife since 10+ years (she calmed me down a lot) - I was living quite recklessly. And carried tons of cash, wore an expensive AP, etc.
Never once felt threatened.
A Danish traveler says street crime in Ukraine feels close to zero after seven visits. That tracks.
Ukrainian cities remain socially organized even under missile threat because the state hasn’t collapsed and civil trust is high. Meanwhile moscovia exports theft, torture, and looting as policy.
The contrast isn’t cultural mysticism, it’s institutional.