Russia-Ukraine War

smoke rises from a destroyed warehouse after a Russian drone attack on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, on Aug. 27, 2026
War

'Hanging by a thread' — Kyiv under psychological siege amid ceaseless strikes

by Yevgeniya Doluda

After more than a week of relentless Russian strikes and near-constant air raid alerts, some Kyiv residents are being pushed to the brink of mental exhaustion. In the capital, every day since Aug. 27 has brought hours of sirens, sleepless nights, and the anticipation of another attack — a sustained pressure the experts say is Russia's deliberate tactic of terror. "This past week, with all the constant anxiety, my mental health has been hanging by a thread," said Kateryna Soniuk, a Kyiv residen

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Ukraine war latest: Drone and missile alerts sound in Kyiv amid temporary attack pause on capitals

Amid a temporary attack pause between Kyiv and Moscow, Russian drones are flying above the Ukrainian capital *Russia has enough resources to wage war through 2028, Ukraine's military intelligence says *Ukraine claims strikes on railway bridge and Russian aircraft in Russian-occupied Crimea *Kyiv shortens curfew to 1-5 am *Pro-Ukrainian partisans sabotaged communication tower ahead of oil refinery strike, Atesh group claims *Ukrainian drone blitz hits 3 Russian oil refineries, Zelensky confirms

The drone war is becoming a race to adapt, rather than perfect

You don't need to have followed the Ukraine war closely to recognize the central role that drones have played in the conflict. As I write, the Russian e-commerce giant Ozon is reeling following a third day of long-range drone strikes— an indication not only of the significance of drones, but also of how the drone war has evolved. At the start of the war, such an attack was impossible; now, as of summer 2026, drones shape almost every act as part of wider systems. But readers of this publicatio

About War

The Kyiv Independent's coverage of Russia’s war in Ukraine. Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, after eight years of aggression against Ukraine that began in 2014 with the annexation of Crimea and fighting in Donbas. The war has resulted in tens of thousands of military and civilian casualties and displaced millions of Ukrainians. NATO and Western allies have provided military aid to Ukraine while the conflict continues across fronts in Ukraine’s south and east.

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