For the second consecutive day, Kyiv was brought to a standstill as waves of Russian drones triggered repeated air-raid alerts, forcing residents into shelters and disrupting transport, work, and daily routines. The capital experienced at least 23 separate alerts in less than 48 hours, according to Ukrainian officials.
Thursday was particularly intense: the Foreign Ministry reported that sirens sounded 13 times, keeping the city under warning for nearly 15 hours. On Friday, the pattern continued, with small groups of drones launched in succession, each renewing the threat and sending people underground.
Jet-powered drones strain defenses
Ukrainian authorities say the prolonged disruption is largely due to Russia's shift to jet-powered drones. Unlike the slower, propeller-driven Shahed models, these newer weapons can reach speeds of up to 500 km/h, outpacing many Ukrainian interceptor drones that typically fly at 300 km/h. This forces Ukraine to use scarce and far more expensive air-defense missiles to shoot them down.
Andrii Kovalenko, head of Ukraine's Center for Countering Disinformation, said the tactic is deliberate: “The goal is to exhaust air defenses and the population.” Between 7am and 7pm on Thursday, Russia launched around 140 attack drones against Ukraine, more than 100 of them jet-powered, with the majority aimed at Kyiv, according to the Air Force.
The repeated alerts have severely hampered rail travel. Ukrzaliznytsia, the state railway operator, reported significant delays, with some long-distance services running several hours behind schedule. No trains have been cancelled, but the operator warned that disruption could continue for at least another day.
Civilian infrastructure hit hard
The attacks have caused extensive damage to civilian infrastructure in Kyiv and the surrounding region. On Friday, one person was killed and two others injured, while 14 warehouses, 16 private homes, three apartment buildings, and 16 vehicles were damaged, according to regional authorities.
Warehouses and distribution centers have been particularly hard hit in recent strikes. Agriculture Minister Taras Vysotskyi said that around 90% of Ukraine's modern storage facilities for goods have been destroyed. While this will not leave Ukrainians without food, it is forcing retailers to reorganize supply chains, including delivering goods directly from producers to shops.
The Kremlin, as usual, claimed that Russia is targeting military and military-related infrastructure. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday: “Strikes on Kyiv are continuing. They are continuing systematically and deliberately. We continue to destroy the military and paramilitary infrastructure. Our military knows what it is doing and how it is doing it.”
These claims are contradicted by the visible damage to homes, schools, and warehouses, and by the daily toll on civilians. The attacks come as Ukraine continues to face a broader Russian campaign of drone and missile strikes across the country, including recent incidents in Zaporizhzhia and Kherson.
European leaders have repeatedly condemned the strikes and debated ways to support Ukraine, including using frozen Russian assets to fund reconstruction and defense. The ongoing attacks underscore the urgent need for sustained international assistance.
