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Zoriana’s note:
For the past few weeks, I haven’t been able to sleep because of the constant fear of ballistic attacks. I finished writing my part of an article on my phone in my bathroom during one of those massive ballistic strikes. That night, I decided to stay home and sleep instead of going to the metro… I kept writing with trembling hands, which shook even more with every new explosion. I wrote to distract myself, but also because I wanted my story to be heard.
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OUR LEAD STORY:
KYIV, Ukraine – It’s the last evening of my vacation.
I’m sitting in a taxi taking me to the Lviv railway station so I can return to Kyiv, and I can’t hold back my tears.
It’s not that I’m sad about returning to work and my normal routine. But when I get home, I know I won’t be able to sleep in my own bed. Once a cozy little nest, my own bed is now a place of constant fear, where even the deepest sleep comes at the risk of a ballistic missile or drone attack. I don’t trust monitoring channels anymore. I don’t trust anyone, except this primal fear that fills every cell of my body as soon as it starts getting dark.
And this fear is warranted. Russia has spent the whole summer launching large-scale ballistic missile attacks on Kyiv, taking advantage of Ukraine’s shortage of interceptors. They also used drones, including jet-powered Shaheds. Russia ramped up its missile production and also relies on North Korean missiles to intensify the attacks.
On top of that, Moscow seems to be adopting a new tactic, launching jet-powered drones throughout the whole day to paralyze the entire city. On August 27, there were 13 air raid alerts in Kyiv — a record-setting number of attacks lasting more than half a day. Since then, the attacks have been almost non-stop.
Basements and underground parking garages no longer feel safe enough. That’s why more and more Kyiv residents have started spending the night in the metro, often heading down there even before an air raid alert is issued.
Even when there’s no attack, people would rather spend a night in the metro than wake up suddenly to explosions in their own bed, unprotected.
After the paywall:
How Mariana’s attitude towards attacks has changed;
Why Zoriana was upset there was no night attack;
Why metro stations don’t always guarantee complete safety;
How many nights Zoriana slept at home in two weeks;
