Kyiv Deploys Mobile Air-Raid Shelters at Bus Stops Amid Escalating Strikes

KYIV: As Russian aerial attacks intensify and air raid sirens sound almost continuously, Kyiv has begun installing mobile concrete shelters at public transport stops, an AFP reporter observed on Friday.

The Ukrainian capital has endured a surge in Russian airstrikes over recent weeks, with round-the-clock bombardments targeting residential neighborhoods, gas stations, schools, rail lines, communications infrastructure, and key bridges.

In response to the ongoing four-and-a-half-year conflict, the city administration has installed a tent-shaped concrete shelter at a busy bus stop to offer commuters temporary refuge during air raid alerts.

<>

“The shelter is intended to provide temporary protection for people in the event of shelling during air raid alerts,” the Kyiv City State Administration said in a statement on Thursday.

Serving up to 10 people and equipped with space for wheelchairs, the mobile units also include seating. The city plans to procure and deploy 14 additional shelters, according to officials.

However, the slow rollout has drawn sharp criticism from social media users and public figures.

“The first mobile shelter in the fifth year of the war. It can accommodate 10 people… Well done — I’m lost for words,” wrote Ivan Tykhenko on Facebook.

Ukrainian lawmaker Yaroslav Yurchyshyn echoed the sentiment on social media, stating, “The capital has been under attack from cruise missiles for three months, and now the people of Kyiv will have a chance to take cover.”

He continued, “So far, there’s only one such shelter… It’s best not to wait for the bus at other stops, because at this rate, they won’t start building the second one for another five years.”

Tensions have mounted between Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who recently criticized Klitschko over winter preparedness measures.

Last week, Klitschko told AFP that the city is in “survival” mode due to the constant attacks, complicating contingency planning efforts.

He later responded to the criticism, saying, “Finding scapegoats won’t make people warmer.”

Source link