The attacks come at night, when most in Kyiv are sound asleep. The sirens wail across the Ukrainian capital, rousing bleary-eyed residents, who, after 15 months of war, have customized individual routines to cope with Russia's latest air campaign.
In the recent escalation of Russian attacks, Olha Bukhno, 65, a cleaner, says a prayer every night. "Please," she asks, closing her eyes and addressing the heavens, "Let it be quiet."By her bedside is a bag packed full of essentials: documents, dry foods and water. At the sound of the alarm, she dashes downstairs to her building's basement and takes shelter.
"What is there to say? Everyone is exhausted," said Oleksandr Chubienko, a pharmacist in Darnytsia, describing the recent temper of his customers. The increasingly regular series of strikes are part of a new Russian air campaign targeting Ukrainian counteroffensive capabilities, experts and Ukrainian officials said. The uptick was noticed after April 19, right after Ukraine announced it had received American-made Patriot missiles, a long-sought new shield against Russian airstrikes. Observers said the renewed intensity of Russian attacks appears to be aiming to overwhelm and target these new systems.
But the defence systems can't shield civilians from every harm. The debris from destroyed Russian missiles have rained down on civilians, causing fires and injuries. In Darnitsya, leftover debris from the fire was piled inside a large garbage can. Charred pieces of wood and insulation lie under the springtime sun, as parents stroll by with their children and neighbours exchange the latest gossip.
But still, it's better to avoid telling his child the whole truth. "It's better that it's a joke between us," he said. "Now she is used to it, and she isn't afraid."
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