I’m often asked “what it’s like” in Kyiv now, so I thought I’d try to describe this experience.
Russia launched a seven-hour-long aerial attack on Kyiv on May 23rd, with the air raid alert going off around 10 p.m. on Friday and ending at 5 a.m.
Olga Rudenko is the chief editor of the Kyiv Independent, an award-winning media start-up launched in November 2021. She has written for global publications, and was a fellow at the Chicago Booth School of Business in 2021. She was featured on the cover of Time magazine in May 2022 as one of the publication’s Next Generation Leaders, and won the Women of Europe award in the “Woman in Action” category in December 2022.
Drones and Missiles
I heard the first distant explosion while having dinner, a spoonful of risotto in my mouth, and shrugged it off.
The attack started with a wave of drones, which were intercepted far from the center of Kyiv. Distant explosions, not scary. A couple of hours later, they were followed by ballistic missiles. When those come in, there are usually only a few, but the interception produces an extremely loud explosion.
Sitting on the floor in the corridor of my apartment, with two walls between me and the sounds, I thought about what it must be like for the people in the air defense crews on nights like these. Imagine having that job, knowing that you are one of the city’s defenders, and any mistake can have an extremely high price. I also wondered if they get to have coffee while on duty, waiting for an attack. I hope they do.
The ballistics were followed by a new, bigger wave of drones — these ones got into the city center. In fact, last night was the closest I’ve ever heard them, which might indicate they are now penetrating deeper into the city. The Iranian-designed drones that Russia uses make a distinctive buzzing sound when they fly. A colleague who lives in an area that gets targeted more often has recently told me that the explosions don’t unnerve him at all, “but that sound of a flying drone, especially when it’s getting louder, can be quite scary.”
A local resident is seen cleaning her flat damaged by a Russian drone attack on Kyiv on May 24. (Danylo Antoniuk/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Defence
According to Ukrainian authorities, the attack didn’t kill anyone but left 15 people injured. A few apartments burned down, hit by the destroyed drone debris, and many had their windows shattered by explosions.
Overall, the Air Force said, Russian forces launched 14 ballistic missiles against Ukraine overnight, as well as 250 Shahed-type attack drones and decoy drones.
It’s worth noting that the authorities’ reports about the attacks’ results aren’t always completely true — they can purposefully omit information about casualties resulting from military production sites being hit, to avoid disclosing damage that’s considered sensitive. Although to be honest, I can’t imagine Russia not finding this out on its own, anyway.
So that was our night here in Kyiv.
B&J in Ukraine
We’ll be stopping into Kyiv sometime during our trip.
Pray for freedom and peace to come to Ukraine.
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