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What is happening in Kyiv right now? |
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 | Membership Growth Manager Yana Zhuryk |
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Dear Kyiv Independent readers, It's Yana here again, writing to you from Kyiv about something I would rather not have to describe. It looks like Russia is trying a new tactic on us. For most of this war, an attack on Kyiv was something that happened at night: the sirens, a few bad hours, and by morning it was over, and the city went back to work. Last week, that changed. Since last Thursday, the sirens have run through the night, then straight through the day, then into the next night. I have barely slept, and neither has anyone I know. A few times this week, I was out on the street when a drone was shot down over my neighborhood. You hear it before you see anything — the sound gets louder, then the air defense opens up, then the bang. And then you keep walking to wherever you were going, because what else are you supposed to do? So, I wanted to write for you a short explainer on what the past week has actually been like here, and what Russia might be trying to achieve. We can only keep reporting thanks to the support of our community of 35,000 members. If you want this work to go on, please consider joining them. |
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What is happening? Kyiv and the surrounding region are going through a days-long aerial attack. Russia has been launching jet-powered drones at the city in near-hourly attacks, triggering continuous air raid alerts. On Thursday, Aug. 27, there were 13 alerts in a single day — the highest number since the full-scale invasion began. This has led to more civilian casualties in the city. The numbers drip in. On day five of the attacks, seven people were killed. On day six, 12 were killed, and at least 21 were injured, including three children. Nowhere feels safe. Russia has also sharply escalated its attacks on Ukrainian businesses, striking supermarket distribution centers, postal facilities, gas stations, consumer goods warehouses, railway infrastructure, and so on. |
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 A residential building caught fire following a Russian drone attack on Kyiv, Ukraine, on Sept. 1, 2026. (State Emergency Service/Telegram) |
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How is it different from before? Before, Russia was stockpiling weapons to launch massive overnight barrages of ballistic and cruise missiles. The air raid siren would go off, you would go to the shelter, or to a bed in a corridor with two walls between you and the street, and wait for the attack to end by morning. Now, the alerts continue in the day, and the next night, and the day after that. At the time we are writing this, it's been going on for seven days, starting from last Thursday. An alert might mean there is just one drone, or two. It might only be 10 minutes before the drone is shot down or hits something, or it might be an hour – these drones are faster and harder to intercept. Then, the all-clear sounds. And then another drone comes, and the alarm goes off again. What does it mean for us in Kyiv? The days-long attack is taking a psychological toll on people. We're used to not getting much sleep. But we're also used to the threat generally ending in the morning. Kyiv has felt safer than other Ukrainian cities, especially those further east. Right now, it is not. And you can't ignore it. You hear the air alert sounding and drones exploding throughout the day and night. On top of that, there's the logistical nightmare. During each air raid, parts of the city are paralyzed: trains are delayed, and businesses close so that their employees can go to a shelter. The subway is Kyiv's main public transportation, but the lines that cross the Dnipro River do it on open bridges, above ground — so when the alert sounds, those crossings stop. The river splits the city in two, and huge numbers of people live on one bank and work on the other. People are sleep deprived, but most still need to go to work. With transportation in chaos, this commute becomes an additional challenge. |
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And, because of attacks on warehouses and transportation, some supermarket shelves are empty. Some supplies are delayed. On top of that, people are panic-buying groceries because they fear the situation will get worse. On top of that, people are concerned about what life will be like this winter — with possible food shortages, more blackouts, cold, and the constant threat from the skies. Some people are choosing to leave Kyiv. This must be exactly what Russia wants. |
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 People wait at Kyiv's central railway station for trains delayed due to a Russian drone attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Aug. 27, 2026. (Ivan Antypenko / Suspilne Ukraine / JSC "UA:PBC" / Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images) |
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Why this change in attack tactics? As our editor-in-chief, Olga Rudenko, said in the last issue of her newsletter, Ukraine Weekly: "The idea behind this is pretty clear. As people are eyeing another difficult winter and making the decision to stay or flee, Russia is trying to send a signal: Things will get worse here; there is no normality — so you should flee. Or, better yet, accept defeat to stop it at any price." As Russia's forces can't push forward on the battlefield, Russia chooses to attack and terrorize the civilian population — through direct strikes on residential areas and by taking out critical infrastructure. What can you do to help? Unless you're reading this from the Kremlin, you probably don't have much control over these attacks. But you can help us keep reporting on what is happening in Ukraine, directly from Kyiv — documenting Russia's attacks and preserving the evidence of its war crimes. You can do that by becoming a member of the Kyiv Independent. The international community must not look away from what is happening here. Telling the rest of the world what Russia is doing is not only about Ukraine — it is about not letting this go unnoticed and unsanctioned. |
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Thank you for your continued support and attention, |
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| With love from Kyiv, Yana Zhuryk The Kyiv Independent |
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