3 days ago
As strikes intensify, Kyiv residents spend nights in metro
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Metro stations have doubled as bomb shelters since the start of the invasion.
KYIV - Ms Maria Breston always used to shelter in the relative safety of her corridor at home during the Russian aerial attacks that have targeted Kyiv since the start of Moscow's invasion in 2022.
But
a recent uptick in strikes has pushed her to change plans and settle for the night on her yoga mat at a station in the Ukrainian's capital metro.
'It didn't use to be like that, not at all. There used to be attacks maybe once a month. Now they don't give us a break... I've gotten used to it a little, but I'd rather go to the subway,' the 19-year-old told AFP.
Intensifying Russian attacks have forced sleep-deprived Kyiv residents to choose between heading underground for safety at night, or staying in bed and hoping the attack will spare their homes.
Metro stations have doubled as bomb shelters since the start of the invasion.
From deep underground, Ms Breston could not hear the explosions that rang throughout the night as Russia launched its largest-ever attack on Ukraine overnight from July 3 to July 4 with 539 drones and 11 missiles.
The attack took place only a few hours after US President Donald Trump failed to make any progress in discussions with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on ending the war.
The sound of strikes has haunted 47-year-old Yuliia Holovnina ever since an attack in 2024 on the Okhmatdyt paediatric hospital, near her home.
'You stop breathing. For a certain period of time, life around you just freezes. And you don't know what will happen after the explosion,' she said.
'Will there be another one, will something collapse on you? Will there be smoke, will there be a fire? So in those seconds, you just hold your breath and wait to see what happens next.'
'More comfortable than at home'
Seeking to avoid that feeling at any cost, she has been regularly coming down to the Universtitetska metro station with her neighbour and her daughter.
Over a hundred Kyiv residents, armed with thin mattresses, blankets and snacks, trickled in as the attack continued.
Some managed to fall asleep, lightly snoring as elevators whirred in the background.
A man corrected papers that he brought in a cardboard box. Once done with his work, he lay down on a mattress, hugging his girlfriend.
This had become a familiar scene to Ms Holovnina.
'It's just convenient and comfortable when there are people around you that you know,' she said.
She threw a sleeping bag to Ms Anna Shmihelska, who has more recently begun spending her nights underground.
'There is always someone who can help psychologically and materially. A blanket, a warm jacket, and basically that's it. And definitely bring headphones for the subway. It can get very loud here, and the first day was difficult,' Ms Shmihelska said.
Ms Breston said she felt 'more comfortable here than at home'.
'Maybe I'll fall asleep a little later,' she said, as she scrolled through real-time updates on the missile threat on her phone. AFP
