Kyiv records 140 deaths in eight months as shelter gap forces millions underground
Military administration data shows the capital is on pace for its deadliest year since 2022, with subway stations serving as primary shelters for a population that outstrips available capacity.
By Carolina Wood ·
Daily life in Kyiv has shifted from relative calm to a front line reality as Russian forces expand their attacks on the capital. The city is now experiencing the same intensity of strikes previously confined to regions closer to the battlefield.
A shortage of shelters for the city's four million residents has turned subway stations into improvised dormitories. From approximately 10 p.m. each night, residents lay out mattresses and set up small tents. Children sleep beside adults, while pets settle against cold walls alongside their owners.
Halyna, a resident of the Lukyanivka district, told Deutsche Welle that she takes her five-year-old son, Roman, to the nearest station on most evenings. Her district has been repeatedly targeted during the four years and eight months of the war. She described the experience as being lucky to survive another night.
The strikes have claimed young lives, including 14-year-old Daniel Umanskyj, who died in September when a drone hit an apartment building in the Pechersk district. His neighbor, Vlad, was in the hallway with his daughter at the time of the impact. He stated that being late that day saved their lives, adding that the attackers do not care who they kill.
Educational institutions have also faced direct hits. In early October, a drone struck a school building in southwestern Kyiv, though students and staff were already in shelters. Principal Valentyna Chorna said the school continues in-person classes for grades one through nine because its shelter holds more than 500 students.
Whether lessons proceed depends on shelter availability and the duration of sirens. Parents face logistical strains when alarms sound during the school day, particularly if children are left home while adults work. One journalist noted that the walk to school near the Antonov aircraft factory remains risky because alerts can start at any moment.
Kyiv's military administration reports that 140 people were killed in the capital during the first eight months of 2026. This figure compares to 172 deaths recorded for the entirety of 2025. If the current pace continues, 2026 will become the deadliest year for the city since the full-scale invasion began in 2022.
Infrastructure damage has led to supermarket shortages and emergency power outages that began returning in late September. A Russian attack recently paralyzed the subway system, raising questions about the city's ability to provide heat, electricity, and water this winter. A survey by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology found that 72% of residents said in September they were ready to endure the war as long as necessary.
