- Relentless attacks injure civilians, damage infrastructure and repeatedly halt public transport as Ukraine faces sustained waves of drone strikes
KYIV: Russian drone attacks on Kyiv and the surrounding region continued for a fifth consecutive day on Monday, with near-continuous air raid alerts disrupting daily life for millions of residents and placing renewed pressure on Ukraine’s air-defence systems.
The latest attacks early Monday injured four people and damaged warehouse facilities, an apartment building and a retail outlet in the Kyiv region, regional governor Tymur Tkachenko said in a statement on Telegram.
Large waves of drones, including an increasing number powered by jet engines, have targeted Kyiv and surrounding areas in recent days, killing civilians and damaging residential and commercial infrastructure.
A Russian strike on an ammunition depot on Friday triggered a series of powerful explosions that killed 38 people, according to Ukrainian authorities.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday that the sustained drone campaign was intended to exhaust the Ukrainian population and undermine daily life. He said Russia had launched nearly 1,500 drones at Ukraine over four days, with more than half reportedly powered by jet engines.
Strikes Spread to Key Economic and Industrial Targets
The latest wave of attacks was not limited to the Kyiv region.
In the southern Odesa region, a Russian strike sparked a fire at a terminal operated by the private courier company Nova Poshta, Governor Oleh Kiper said on Monday.
In the southeastern city of Kryvyi Rih, a jet-powered drone attack on an industrial facility injured two people, according to a local official.
The escalation reflects a broader pattern in which both Russia and Ukraine have increasingly targeted economic and logistical infrastructure.
Russian forces have struck warehouses and facilities linked to major Ukrainian supermarket chains, postal services, home-goods retailers and e-commerce companies, while Ukraine has continued attacks against Russian infrastructure and logistics facilities.
A logistics hub in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg was also targeted in a drone attack, the regional governor said Monday.
Air Raid Alerts Disrupt Kyiv’s Public Transport
Russia has intensified its aerial campaign during the summer, exploiting what Kyiv says are shortages of air-defence interceptors capable of countering certain ballistic threats.
However, the growing use of large daytime drone formations has created a new challenge for residents of the capital, repeatedly interrupting public transport and forcing people to seek shelter during working hours.
Kyiv’s metro service was suspended during the latest alerts, with trains temporarily stopping their crossings of the Dnipro River. Dozens of passengers were left waiting on crowded platforms as they sought to continue their journeys once the danger had passed.
Among those stranded was 38-year-old nurse and psychologist Yulianna Oliynyk, who was travelling with her two sons, 11-year-old Adrian and seven-year-old Demian, ahead of the new academic year.
The family had already been forced to spend the previous night with relatives after air raid alerts disrupted their journey home. Another alert left them waiting on a metro platform for around an hour.
The repeated disruptions, Oliynyk said, were making it increasingly difficult for families to maintain normal routines.
With the new school year approaching, she said she was even considering carrying sleeping bags and spending the night in a metro station close to the children’s school — a stark illustration of how Russia’s intensified drone campaign is affecting everyday life far beyond the immediate areas of destruction.
For millions of Kyiv residents, the near-round-the-clock sirens have become a persistent reminder that even routine activities such as commuting, working and preparing children for school remain vulnerable to the continuing war.
BY: The Times Union
