Russian drone onslaught tests Ukrainian resilience
Since 1st September, almost every night, the Russians have been attacking Ukraine with kamikaze drones. These raids impact the entire country, and residents of Kyiv have slept peacefully for only one night in over two months. Experts emphasise that such a scale of attacks contradicts reports of equipment shortages in the Russian army.
Since 1st September, only on 14th October were the residents of Kyiv not awakened by alarm sirens urging them to head to shelters. In the first week of November alone, the sirens wailed for a total of 43 hours.
On the night from Saturday to Sunday, the Ukrainian air defence detected a record number of 145 incoming Shahed drones. These attacks are just one of the indications that Russia still has the combat capabilities to carry out constant strikes on Ukraine, as experts at CNN emphasise.
They want to break the civilians
The cities of Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Odessa have also recently experienced exceptionally intense drone and missile attacks. According to experts, this appears to be a renewed attempt by the Russians to break the determination of Ukrainian civilians.
The intensification of attacks on cities coincided with a time when Russian forces are still achieving success in Donetsk, and Ukrainian troops are grappling with personnel shortages and are increasingly stretched along the extensive front line.
Spending nights in bathrooms and basements
Residents of Kyiv told CNN about long and terrifying nights when they were awakened by the wailing of sirens and explosions.
- For the past two months, when the shelling has become more frequent, we have been hiding in the bathroom or going down to the shelter in the basement - said one of the residents of the Ukrainian capital. She adds that the constant shelling is particularly hard on her 6-year-old son.
- I don't remember when we had a proper night’s sleep - she adds.
Kyiv paralysed
Frequent alarms are also affecting the functioning of the entire city of Kyiv. Bridges are closed, public transport is suspended, children do not go to school, and the city has been divided into two parts, each isolated by the Dnieper River.
Continuous attacks undermine Ukrainians' morale. The Kyiv International Institute of Sociology regularly asks whether Ukraine should continue fighting for as long as necessary. The number of people who answered yes dropped from 73% in February to 63% in October.
Less optimistic prospects have also dampened the mood among Ukraine's allies. They talk much less about Kyiv's victory on the battlefield and more about maintaining a sufficient position to force the Kremlin into negotiations.
