Sleepless in Kyiv: Families take shelter underground amid Russian strikes

Several nights a week, Daria Slavytska packs a stroller with blankets, food, and a yoga mat. Then she heads into the Kyiv subway with her two-year-old son Emil, to sleep.

For the past two months, Russia has launched drone and missile attacks on the capital almost every night.
The sound of sirens has become routine. So has fear.

Like thousands of others, Slavytska now shelters in Kyiv’s underground metro stations — deep, cold, and Soviet-built.
She says she used to go once a month. Now it’s two or three times a week.

In June alone, the subway recorded 165,000 nighttime visits, more than double May’s figure.
The city's military says 78 people were killed and over 400 injured in Kyiv in the first half of this year.

Some nights, explosions rock the sky before the sirens sound.
Emil used to shake and cry. Now he just says, “Mum, we should go.”

‘Capsule of Life’

Others are choosing steel over concrete.
Small business owner Kateryna Storozhuk sleeps each night inside a $2,000 reinforced “Capsule of Life” shelter — built to survive falling debris.
She climbs in with her Chihuahua.

“Without it, I couldn’t sleep,” she says.

Toll on the mind

The deeper damage is not visible.
Psychologists in Kyiv say long-term sleep deprivation is hurting the public — especially children.

Researchers warn it can trigger lifetime health issues, from anxiety to chronic illness.
A 2024 study found 88% of Ukrainians reported poor or very poor sleep.

At night, the metro resembles wartime London — families curled on mats, babies in strollers, lights dimmed.
Slavytska is even considering buying a full mattress.

Retailers say demand for inflatable beds and sleep gear has jumped 25% in Kyiv since June.

'A heart-sinking fear'

Experts compare the mental strain to battlefield trauma.
“Imagine someone shot in front of you — your heart sinks,” said Anton Kurapov, a sleep researcher.
“In Kyiv, people feel that fear every day.”

The White House is watching too.
U.S. President Donald Trump this week cited Russian strikes as he approved new weapons for Ukraine, including Patriot missiles.

“It’s incredible that people stay, knowing a missile could hit their apartment,” he said.

But they do.
They sleep on platforms. In capsules. In fear.
Because for now, Kyiv’s quietest hours still echo with war.

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