Russia has been launching near-constant drone attacks on Kyiv, disrupting daily life for its 3 million residents. The attacks have caused power and water outages, and in recent days, civilians have been injured or killed by the strikes. For residents like Vitaliia Poliakova, who was injured in a drone strike last Thursday, the situation is becoming increasingly difficult to cope with, especially as winter approaches. The escalating air war between Russia and Ukraine has resulted in over 16,000 civilian deaths, according to the UN, with dozens killed in Kyiv since August 27.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-06,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
US President Donald Trump has announced that his special envoys, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, will be traveling to Russia and Ukraine this weekend to attempt to broker a peace deal between the two warring nations. According to Trump, they are bringing a proposal aimed at ending the war in its fifth year, although he did not elaborate on what the proposal entails. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has confirmed that he will meet with the envoys on Sunday after they visit Moscow on Saturday to hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The trip comes as efforts to end the war appear to be gaining pace, but a gulf remains between the two sides. Trump's administration has provided billions of dollars in military aid to Ukraine, much of which was transferred free of charge, and now the US is asking Europe to retroactively pay for this assistance.
Witkoff and Kushner have led Trump's efforts to broker a peace deal, but their itinerary has been in flux, and the Kyiv section of their journey was still uncertain. The pair were initially due to arrive in Kyiv by plane, but it was reported that Witkoff is "too scared" to travel to Kyiv for peace talks.
The trip also comes as Trump made a series of comments on social media, including claiming that European countries should repay the US for past Ukraine aid and slamming reports of heavily depleted US munition stockpiles amid the separate war in Iran.
Written for “US-Russia-Ukraine Peace Efforts” on 2026-09-07,
grounded in this article and the 68 other(s) covering the same event.
How escalating attacks are upending daily life in Kyiv
KYIV, Sept 5 - Commuters stranded; children rushed underground in the middle of the school day; festivals cancelled; walks punctuated by booming air defences.
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festivals → escalate → defences
Near-constant drone attacks are the stark new reality in Kyiv, and daily life is likely to get harder.
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life → get → Kyiv
Kyiv has survived many traumas since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.
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Kyiv → survive → February
Despite the initial shock of war and the advent of attack drones and ballistic missiles, residents adapted and managed to impose a semblance of normality.
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residents → adapt → normality
But as a fifth full winter of war approaches, that is becoming harder to maintain.
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that → approach → war
Over the summer, Moscow began sending swarms of high-speed, jet-propelled drones that are more destructive and harder to shoot down than older propeller-powered models.
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that → send → models
For the last 10 days, air attacks have been around-the-clock rather than mainly at night, puncturing Ukrainians' sense that their country's own long-range drone campaign against Russia was swinging the war back in their favour.
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campaign → puncture → favour
Vitaliia Poliakova and her partner were driving near a bridge on the eastern bank of the Dnipro on Thursday when a jet-powered drone struck the road near their car, injuring both.
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drone → drive → both
"We were driving, talking about our own things.
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We → drive → things
Then there was a sudden hit," the 35-year-old said, speaking in the back of an ambulance.
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old → be → ambulance
Poliakova had cuts to her right hand and her partner had a bloodied face and right leg.
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partner → have → face
Russian attacks have caused regular power and water outages since early in the war, but their intensity in the last 10 days points to greater disruption.
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intensity → cause → disruption
"The last year has been really difficult for us," said Bohdan, 29, as he surveyed his damaged apartment block, struck in a Russian attack earlier this week.
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he → say → attack
"After this (attack), as you can see, it will probably be even harder, so we're moving away."
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we → see → attack
With frontline fighting causing hundreds of casualties a week but yielding little in terms of territorial gains, Russia and Ukraine have engaged in an escalating air war in recent months, hammering each other's energy and logistics facilities.
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Russia → cause → facilities
The U.N. has verified more than 16,000 civilian deaths so far in the conflict, the vast majority of them in Ukraine.
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U.N. → verify → Ukraine
Both Moscow and Kyiv say they do not target civilians, but in Kyiv and the surrounding region, dozens of civilians have been killed since August 27.
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dozens → say → August
COMMUTING AND SHOPPING GET HARDER AND HARDER
On Monday, repeated air raid alerts halted metro services linking the two sides of the Dnipro river that divides the city.
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that → commute → city
At Osokorky station near the opposite bank to the centre, nurse and psychologist Yulianna Oliynyk and her two sons waited on a packed platform for the alarm to be lifted.
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alarm → wait → platform
"I'm already thinking maybe we should just take sleeping bags and sleep in the metro at the station near the school," she said.
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she → think → school
"Last year it was difficult at school and now I honestly don't even know what to do.
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I → know → what
I just don't know."
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I → know → ?
Roads into central Kyiv are clogged, bus stops are crammed and people are walking long distances to get to and from work.
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people → clog → work
Grocery shopping is becoming more difficult.
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shopping → become → ?
Large supermarkets close when air raid sirens sound, meaning customers must leave the building mid-shop.
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customers → close → building
Some dairy items are running low as supply chains are disrupted and warehouses are hit.
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warehouses → run → ?
Natalia Petrivska, executive director at the Ukrainian Food Retail Alliance, appeared on television this week to reassure people that they did not need to panic buy.
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they → appear → people
SCHOOLS RETURN DESPITE NEW DANGERS
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SCHOOLS → return → DANGERS
Russia fired more than 2,800 jet-powered drones at Ukraine in August, air force spokesperson Yuriy Ihnat said, after increasing their use fivefold in July compared with June.
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Ihnat → fire → June
Interception rates were at around 60%, he added, compared with more than 90% for slower, conventional drones.
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he → add → drones
Russia says such attacks have a military purpose; Ukraine says they are designed to break civilian morale and persuade the government to give up territory at a time when Washington appears to be making a new push for peace.
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Washington → say → peace
Yet polling by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology in August showed attitudes towards Russia hardening.
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attitudes → show → Russia
The number of respondents who opposed ceding the unoccupied part of the Donbas region - one of Russian President Vladimir Putin's key demands - rose to 69% from 62% in April.
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who → oppose → April
On the first day of the new academic year this week, pupils at one Kyiv school had just finished their first class when air raid sirens sounded and they hurried to underground shelters to continue their studies.
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they → finish → studies
"It's stressful for them, but the children are becoming better able to adapt," said headmaster Roman Feshchuk.
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Feshchuk → become → them
Around 400 children were enrolled this year at the school, which was damaged in an earlier Russian attack in May, although fewer first-graders had signed up, Feshchuk told Reuters.
uncertain
Feshchuk → enrol → Reuters
Oleksandra, a young girl wearing a traditional Ukrainian dress and carrying flowers to celebrate the new academic year, said she particularly enjoyed arts and crafts.
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she → wear → arts
Asked what she dreamed of, she replied: "That the war will end."
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war → ask → what
