Kyiv and the Kyiv region have been under virtually continuous waves of Russian drone attacks for the third day running. Jet-powered UAVs continue to enter the region and, as of the morning of 29 August, new launches show no sign of stopping. Due to the constant air raid alerts, transport services have been partially paralysed; large crowds are gathering in the underground and at stations, whilst some businesses, shops and establishments are being forced to suspend operations on a regular basis.<\/p>\n
Briefly about the main points<\/strong><\/p>\n The scale of the current campaign became apparent as early as 27 August. On the night leading into Thursday, Russia deployed 258 strike drones of various types against Ukraine, approximately a third of which, according to the Air Force, were jet-powered. During the same 24-hour period, the attack effectively moved into its daytime phase.<\/p>\n Only Between 07:00 and 19:00 on 27 August, Russian forces launched around 140 attack UAVs, more than 100 of which were jet-powered<\/strong>. The Air Force emphasised that the enemy had directed the majority of its aircraft specifically towards Kyiv.<\/p>\n For residents of the capital, this meant sirens sounding for practically the whole day. According to the Kyiv City State Administration, throughout 27 August in Kyiv Air raid alerts were sounded 13 times; in total, they lasted almost 14 hours<\/strong>. Between the start of the following day and the morning of 28 August, a further four alerts were recorded.<\/p>\n The next day, the intensity had not subsided.<\/p>\n According to the Air Force, between 06:30 and 19:00 alone On 28 August, the Russian Federation deployed seven S8000 \u00abBanderole\u00bb systems and 96 attack UAVs, more than 70 of which were jet-powered<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Most of the drones were once again heading towards Kyiv. As of 19:00, there were still around ten jet-powered attack drones in the air.<\/p>\n And during the night and on the morning of 29 August, the attacks continued. The Air Force again warned of jet-powered UAVs heading towards the capital<\/strong>, whilst explosions were heard in Kyiv. Thus, 29 August marked the third day in a row that the capital and the surrounding region have been living under repeated waves of drone attacks.<\/p>\n The consequences of such tactics are felt far beyond the areas directly affected by the strikes.<\/p>\n Under the current regulations in Kyiv, Public transport on the ground is suspended whilst an air raid alert is in force<\/strong>. Passengers must leave the vehicle and make their way to the nearest shelter.<\/p>\n The metro continues to operate on underground sections; however, services on above-ground sections are suspended during an alert, whilst underground stations also serve as shelters.<\/p>\n When the sirens sound several times in the course of a single day, public transport is effectively unable to return to its normal timetable before the next interruption.<\/p>\n On the evening of 27 August, the following had already been observed in the capital kilometre-long traffic jams, long queues at bus stops and crowds in the underground<\/strong>. Some Kyiv residents, having given up waiting for public transport, tried to walk home. The situation was particularly difficult for journeys between the right and left banks.<\/p>\n In other words, repeated disruptions begin to have a cumulative effect: one public transport service disruption follows another, queues form, and once the disruption is over, the number of passengers rises sharply all at once.<\/p>\n On days like these, the underground becomes a critically important part of the capital\u2019s infrastructure.<\/p>\n In Kyiv 46 underground stations are being used as shelters<\/strong> during an air-raid alert. During previous major attacks in July and August, tens of thousands of people were at the stations at any one time: for example, on the night of 20 August, there were over 38,000.<\/p>\n There are therefore two reasons why there are so many people on the Underground during the current spate of attacks: some are continuing to travel around the city, whilst others are going down into the stations specifically to seek shelter.<\/p>\n With dozens of alerts over the course of a few days, this places an additional strain on the underground network.<\/p>\n A similar situation arises with regard to the operations of organisations and businesses.<\/p>\n There is no single rule stipulating that absolutely all private establishments in Kyiv must close whenever an alarm is sounded. However, Many companies are suspending services and directing staff and visitors to take shelter in accordance with their own safety procedures<\/strong>.<\/p>\n For example, during an air-raid alert, METRO shopping centres ask all customers to leave the premises and make their way to the shelters.<\/p>\n The Ministry of the Interior\u2019s service centres are also suspending services to the public whilst the alert is in force.<\/p>\n When an alarm lasts an hour or two, it simply means a temporary pause. But when there are ten or more such alerts in a day, a normal working day for some businesses effectively breaks down into short intervals between alarms.<\/p>\n Head of the Centre for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defence Council Andriy Kovalenko<\/strong> linked the current attacks to a change in Russian tactics.<\/p>\n According to him, the enemy is launching small groups of jet-powered drones in waves, forcing Ukrainian air defence forces to respond to the threat time and time again.<\/p>\n Kovalenko outlined two main objectives \u2014 to wear down the air defences and the population<\/strong>. He also stated explicitly that this was an attempt to \u00abparalyse Kyiv\u00bb in this way.<\/p>\n This is a key difference from a classic massed attack, in which hundreds of targets are launched over a relatively short period. The current pattern involves the threat being spread out over time: small groups may reappear after a lull, triggering a new cycle of alarm.<\/p>\n At the same time, another trend can be observed \u2014 the blows of recent days<\/a> account for warehouse, logistics, retail and energy facilities in Kyiv and the surrounding region<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n
For the third day running: the attacks began during the night of 27 August<\/h2>\n
On 28 August, Russia continued to launch waves of drones<\/h2>\n
Transport in Kyiv is struggling to return to normal<\/h2>\n
The underground is becoming both a means of transport and a large shelter<\/h2>\n
Shops, organisations and businesses are being forced to suspend their operations<\/h2>\n
The CPD speaks openly of an attempt to \u00abparalyse Kyiv\u00bb<\/h2>\n
Kyiv\u2019s economic hinterland is also coming under attack<\/h2>\n