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I hear the air alarm. It’s almost 11 p.m.
My eyelids are heavy but my body reacts to every slightest sound coming from outside.
Telegram monitoring channels report that Shahed drones are approaching Kyiv, and warn about a possible ballistic missile strike. The only question on my mind is whether to go to the subway – or take a risk and ignore it.
I can’t decide; the thought of sleeping in my warm bed feels too alluring. It is easier to present the choice to friends, even though it bitterly reminds me of the game of roulette.
The result ends up 50/50. Like many nights in Ukraine, there’s no guarantee you’ll wake up tomorrow.
Since the start of the full-scale invasion, Kyiv has endured 1,903 air raid alerts — the equivalent of more than 95 days spent under threat.
A large share of the attacks happens at night.
For Ukrainians, the night often brings a new kind of vigilance, when fear and fatigue blend into the rhythm of daily life.
During the night assaults, sleeping in the metro is one way that families have adjusted to the new normal.
The underground subway becomes a new kind of home — a place where families come together, bring their pets, or even finish reading the last pages of their favorite novel.
After the Paywall:
Zoriana’s rituals during nighttime alarms;
Why are people increasingly ignoring air raids;
Spending the night in the Kyiv metro during an alarm with Zoriana.
