Kyiv air raid alerts hit record high as Russia launches around-the-clock strikes

Kyiv is living through a new pattern of war, with Russian air raid alerts sounding throughout the day as well as at night. BBC Verify’s analysis of government figures found that the capital is experiencing more daily alerts than at any time since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in 2022.

Since the round-the-clock attacks began at the end of August, sirens have sounded across Kyiv an average of 10 times a day. Residents may be forced to seek shelter 13 times in one day, while individual alerts can last from a few minutes to almost four and a half hours.

“

You can all see that the Russians have changed the tactics of their strikes against Ukraine and, since August, have been terrorising our people, our cities and our villages far more intensely.

The disruption reaches classrooms, offices and railway platforms. Pupils leave lessons, workers abandon their offices and commuters can struggle to get home when overland trains stop. The government is now planning a two-tier warning system that would allow people to continue working, travelling and studying when the threat is assessed as less severe.

“

The task now is to make them faster and equip them with specialised guidance systems so that they can shoot down jet-powered UAVs, the jet-powered Shaheds.

There was a brief pause in attacks over the weekend while US envoys visited Kyiv for talks aimed at ending the war. But President Volodymyr Zelensky has also held an emergency meeting with ministers and military commanders on producing high-speed missiles to intercept faster Russian drones.

“You can all see that the Russians have changed the tactics of their strikes against Ukraine and, since August, have been terrorising our people, our cities and our villages far more intensely,” Zelensky said. Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yurii Ihnat said only about 60% of the drones were being shot down. He said new interceptors needed specialised guidance systems, because speed alone would not ensure they hit their targets. Analysts cited in the article say Russia is seeking to damage morale, businesses and warehouses, while diplomats warn that the drones could be produced faster than Ukraine can develop the weapons needed to stop them.

“

The key issue really is having guidance systems, because that is one of the crucial elements. It is not enough for the interceptor simply to fly fast, it has to hit the target. That is very important.