Life gets very tough for Kyiv residents as Russian drone attacks intensify

Kyiv residents are finding it increasingly difficult to preserve a normal life as Russian drone attacks continue almost around the clock. Commuters have been stranded, children rushed underground during the school day, festivals cancelled and ordinary walks interrupted by the booming of air defences.

The Ukrainian capital has endured repeated trauma since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. After the initial shock, and the arrival of attack drones and ballistic missiles, residents adapted to the danger and managed to create a semblance of normality.

That adjustment is becoming harder as the fifth full winter of the war approaches. Over the summer, Moscow began deploying swarms of high-speed, jet-propelled drones. They are more destructive and more difficult to shoot down than the older propeller-powered models.

For the past 10 days, air attacks have continued through the day and night rather than occurring mainly after dark. The pattern has punctured Ukrainians’ sense that their own long-range drone campaign against Russia was shifting the war back in their favour. Daily life in Kyiv now appears likely to become still more difficult.