Kyiv Air Raid Alerts Reach Record High as Russia Launches Round-the-Clock Strikes
BBC News
In summary: Kyiv is experiencing a record number of air raid alerts, with attacks occurring up to 13 times a day, both during the night and daytime. This has significantly disrupted schools, businesses, and daily commutes, prompting the government to implement a new two-tiered warning system. The increased frequency of strikes, including advanced jet-engine drones, poses a growing challenge for Ukraine's air defenses.
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Figure caption: Watch: BBC reports from Kyiv as Russia ramps up attacks on the city
By James Landale, Diplomatic correspondent, reporting from Kyiv and Christine Jeavans, Senior data journalist.
Published 19 minutes ago.
Kyiv is suffering more daily air raid alerts than at any time since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, according to BBC Verify analysis of government figures. Most air attacks used to occur at night, but Russia has adopted a new tactic of striking Ukraine's capital during daylight hours, causing widespread disruption.
The round-the-clock assaults have forced residents to seek shelter multiple times daily, with alerts lasting from brief moments to nearly four and a half hours. This new reality adds to the existing stress and anxiety among Kyiv's inhabitants.
There was a temporary pause in attacks over the weekend while US envoys were in town for peace talks. However, since the round-the-clock Russian assaults commenced at the end of August, air raid sirens have sounded across Kyiv's skies on average 10 times daily.
In the week ending August 27th, Kyiv experienced 76 air raid alerts, surpassing the previous peak of approximately 66 alerts in early February 2022. While precise comparisons are challenging due to incomplete data in the initial invasion period, the trend is clear: Russian strikes are becoming more frequent.
From the BBC's office in Kyiv, we hear the constant rumble of air defenses and drone explosions. The increased intensity is attributed to the use of newer, faster jet-engine drones, some traveling at nearly 370 mph (595 km/h), three times faster than older propeller-driven models. Ukraine's air force claims Russia launched 2,800 fast drones in August, almost doubling July's figure.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has convened an emergency meeting with ministers and commanders to address the threat posed by these advanced drones. He emphasized:
"You can all see that the Russians have changed the tactics of their strikes against Ukraine and, since August, have been terrorizing our people, our cities, and our villages far more intensely."
Diplomats warn that Russia's faster drone production rate could outpace Ukraine's development of new interceptors, potentially intensifying the threat. Some military sources suggest this challenge might surpass the danger posed by Russia's ballistic missiles, which have largely overcome Ukraine's Patriot defenses.
Ukraine employs various means to counter the Russian drones, including warplanes, anti-aircraft guns, and shoulder-launched missiles. However, Yurii I (a Ukrainian official, as quoted in the original text) remains concerned about the evolving nature of the threat.