Russian strikes on Kyiv highest since March 2022

Russia is pummelling the Kyiv region at an intensity unseen since March 2022, weeks after the Kremlin invaded Ukraine, according to an AFP analysis of figures from the ACLED conflict monitor.

Across the first 18 days of September, the area around the Ukrainian capital came under fire 118 times — a tally unseen since the 174 barrages recorded across the entirety of March 2022, despite this month not yet being over.

The strikes have intensified since July, before accelerating in August and September, notably on warehouses, businesses and petrol stations.

With the year only three-quarters done, 2026 has already seen the highest number of strikes or series of strikes on the Kyiv region since the war started on February 24, 2022.

Most of the attacks are by drones, although there was an uptick in missile strikes in July and August.

In recent weeks, many of the barrages have involved jet-powered drones that Ukraine is struggling to shoot down as a result of a shortage of adequate munitions.

Russia has also stepped up its attacks across the rest of the country, with the number of strikes reaching new records since May, peaking at 5,500 attacks in August, according to the ACLED figures.

The barrages come at a time when Moscow and Kyiv have escalated their long-range attacks on each other, while Russia has increasingly targeted Ukraine’s energy infrastructure ahead of winter’s expected sub-zero chill.