Overnight in the subway, thanks to Russian bombings

The metro can become a refuge when the city is facing explosions during the night. You can experience it, by staying in the metro with Zoriana.

Editor’s Note:

We’re fundraising to get every member of our team batteries to deal with the blackouts in Ukraine. Will you help us?

Upgrade to get full access to all of our stories AND ensure that this goes towards on-the-ground to help us carry out our mission. Or hit our tip jar below!

I hear the air alarm. It’s almost 11 p.m.

My eyelids are heavy but my body reacts to every slightest sound coming from outside.

Telegram monitoring channels report that Shahed drones are approaching Kyiv, and warn about a possible ballistic missile strike. The only question on my mind is whether to go to the subway – or take a risk and ignore it.

I can’t decide; the thought of sleeping in my warm bed feels too alluring. It is easier to present the choice to friends, even though it bitterly reminds me of the game of roulette.

The result ends up 50/50. Like many nights in Ukraine, there’s no guarantee you’ll wake up tomorrow.

Zoriana’s messages in her friends’ chat with the poll ‘Should I go to the subway or stay at home’ and a comment ‘Need your expert opinion’ after the air raids went on.

Since the start of the full-scale invasion, Kyiv has endured 1,903 air raid alerts — the equivalent of more than 95 days spent under threat.

A large share of the attacks happens at night.

For Ukrainians, the night often brings a new kind of vigilance, when fear and fatigue blend into the rhythm of daily life.

During the night assaults, sleeping in the metro is one way that families have adjusted to the new normal.

The underground subway becomes a new kind of home — a place where families come together, bring their pets, or even finish reading the last pages of their favorite novel.

People take refuge in the subway, which acts as a shelter during an attack by Russian drones on July 19, 2025 in Kyiv, Ukraine. (Photo by Ivan Antypenko/Suspilne Ukraine/JSC “UA:PBC”/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images).

After the Paywall:

• Zoriana’s rituals during nighttime alarms;

• Why are people increasingly ignoring air raids;

• Spending the night in the Kyiv metro during an alarm with Zoriana.