Russia's drone blitz intensifies: Kyiv residents on edge
Since September 1st, almost every night, the Russians have attacked Ukraine with kamikaze drones. These raids impact the entire country, and residents of Kyiv have slept peacefully for only one night in over two months. Experts point out that such a scale of attacks contradicts reports of equipment shortages in the Russian army.
8:04 AM EST, November 11, 2024
Since September 1st, only on October 14th, were the residents of Kyiv not awakened by alarm sirens urging them to head to shelters. In the first week of November alone, the sirens wailed for a total of 43 hours.
On the night from Saturday to Sunday, the Ukrainian air defense detected a record number of 145 incoming Shahed drones. These attacks are just one of the pieces of evidence that Russia still possesses combat capabilities that allow for constant strikes on Ukraine, experts at CNN emphasize.
They want to break the civilians
The cities of Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Odessa have also recently experienced exceptionally intense drone and missile attacks. According to experts, this appears to be a renewed attempt by the Russians to break the determination of Ukrainian civilians.
The intensification of attacks on cities has occurred at a time when Russian forces are still achieving success in Donetsk, and Ukrainian troops are struggling with personnel shortages. They are increasingly stretched along the extensive front line.
Spending nights in bathrooms and basements
Residents of Kyiv shared with CNN their experiences of long and terrifying nights when the wailing of sirens and explosions awakened them.
"For the past two months, when the shelling has become more frequent, we have been hiding in the bathroom or going down to the shelter in the basement," said one resident of the Ukrainian capital. She added that the constant shelling is particularly hard on her 6-year-old son.
"I don't remember when we had a proper night’s sleep," she added.
Kyiv paralyzed
Frequent alarms are also impacting the functioning of Kyiv. Bridges are closed, public transport is suspended, children do not go to school, and the city has been divided into two parts, isolated by the Dnieper River.
Continuous attacks undermine Ukrainians' morale. The Kyiv International Institute of Sociology regularly surveys people about whether Ukraine should continue fighting for as long as necessary. The number of people who answered yes dropped from 73% in February to 63% in October.
Less optimistic prospects have also dampened the mood among Ukraine's allies. There is now much less talk about Kyiv's victory on the battlefield and more about maintaining a sufficient position to force the Kremlin into negotiations.
