Kyiv becomes a front-line city as Russian attacks intensify

Russia’s attacks on the Ukrainian capital are intensifying, turning Kyiv into an increasingly front-line city. The metropolis of four million people is struggling with too few shelters, and subway stations have become makeshift dormitories each night. From about 10 p.m., sleeping areas with mattresses and small tents fill the stations, where children snuggle up to adults and pets seek comfort from owners or strangers between cold walls.

Halyna, a Kyiv resident who holds her five-year-old son Roman close, sums up the feeling of many: “We’re alive.” She adds, “We’ve been lucky once again.” Most evenings, even without an air-raid siren, Halyna takes her son to the nearest subway station. Her apartment in the Lukyanivka district has been systematically targeted by Russia over the war’s four years and eight months.

Deadly strikes hit homes and schools

In September, 14-year-old Daniel Umanskyj was doing homework in his room when a Russian drone struck his apartment building in the central Pechersk district. His neighbor Vlad was in the hallway with his daughter at the time of the strike. “We were late that day — and this saved our lives,” Vlad said. He called the attackers “sick monsters” who don’t care who they kill. Flowers have been planted in front of the damaged building in memory of Daniel.

In early October, a drone struck a school building in southwestern Kyiv, but pupils and teachers were already in shelters. The school’s principal, Valentyna Chorna, said the school has a large shelter accommodating more than 500 students. This allows first through ninth grades to attend in person, but classes depend on parents, school administration, shelter availability, and the duration of air-raid sirens.

Daily life under constant threat

A DW bureau colleague in Kyiv whose daughter attends school described the situation as “an enormous burden for parents.” She said, “You have to go to work — and the child stays home alone.” Even the walk to school is dangerous because an air-raid alarm can go off at any time. The daughter’s school is not far from the Antonov aircraft factory, and after a huge explosion, the girl texted, “You can’t imagine what a huge explosion that was!” The colleague said such events really scare children. In September, a Russian drone struck her building, but her apartment was not damaged and her daughter was at school that morning.

Russia’s attacks have become deadlier in 2026. According to the Kyiv military administration, 140 people were killed in the capital in the first eight months of the year, compared with 172 for all of 2025. If the trend continues, 2026 could be Kyiv’s deadliest year since the Russian invasion began in 2022. Attacks on warehouses have led to supermarket shortages not seen since the early months of the war.

Preparing for a hard winter

At the end of September, emergency power outages resumed in Kyiv, and the subway was paralyzed by a Russian attack. Strikes on energy infrastructure have raised questions about how the capital can reliably supply heat, electricity, and water during the upcoming winter. Despite the hardships, a report by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology in early October found that 72% of Kyiv residents are prepared to endure the war as long as necessary.

Authorities are striving to maintain normal life. The curfew has been shortened to 1 a.m.–5 a.m., and some facilities are allowed to operate during “yellow” alerts. However, during “red” alerts—triggered by ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, or massive combined attacks—people must immediately seek shelter.