Kyiv is experiencing more daily air raid alerts than at any time since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. Residents report a significant increase in the intensity and frequency of Russian attacks on the Ukrainian capital in recent months.
Russia has reportedly changed its tactics, now relying less on aircraft and more on ballistic missiles. These missiles travel at high speed, providing little warning, with air-raid alerts sometimes beginning only moments before impact or simultaneously with explosions. Some residents report having as little as four minutes' warning.
Official figures indicate that nearly 60 civilians were killed in three major ballistic missile attacks in the first 10 days of July alone. Similar large-scale attacks also occurred in August and September. The renewed intensity of these strikes is causing residents to rethink their daily lives, with some choosing to leave the city.
The increase in daytime attacks means that life in Kyiv is now interrupted by air raid sirens day and night. This affects businesses and transport, with shopping centres closing and above-ground metro stations suspending operations, often severing public transport links for hours.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported that two children were injured in attacks on 31 August. Many children stayed home or spent hours in school basements at the beginning of September when schools reopened.