By day, Kyiv can often feel far from the front line. But at night, the war looms large.
In the morning rush hour, the traffic along the Dnipro river embankment is heavy and slow-moving as people try to get to work and go about their daily lives.
During the night, every so often, the air raid sirens go off. Much of the time, people glance at their phones and then decide on their plan of action, depending on the threat.
Last night, monitoring channels such as Telegram alerted Kyiv residents to a potentially heavy attack involving not just drones but missiles too.
The muffled thud of air defences intercepting drones and missiles was the soundtrack to most of the night. People can sleep through them.
However, around 03:00, a loud explosion marked the impact of a missile that struck a residential building, prompting citywide unrest and panic.
Following a devastating strike in the Darnytskyi district, the scene was filled with chaos as emergency responders worked tirelessly to rescue those trapped in the rubble.
The air strikes, resulting in devastating damage to buildings and heartbreaking loss of life, have reignited fears and uncertainties for families as they confront the new reality of relentless warfare.
The community is left reeling as they mourn the lives lost and lament the relentless nature of their current existence.
