52,000 Kyiv residents sheltered in the subway during Russia’s strike — the highest number on record

Source: Kyiv City State Administration

Some 52,500 Kyiv residents — including 4,500 children — took shelter in the city’s subway stations during Russia’s massive attack in the early hours of July 2, city authorities said.

Roman Pilipey / AFP / Scanpix / LETA

The Kyiv Metro said the figure is the highest recorded in recent years of the war, without specifying the exact period.

During an air raid alert, 46 underground stations operate as shelters, with all entrances open to the public, the metro’s press service said.

The metro administration also advised anyone sheltering from Russian strikes in the subway to bring at least the following:

warm clothing, blankets, and camping mats (the average temperature in the shelters is 17–18 degrees Celsius, and there may be drafts),
personal medications and water;
hygiene supplies (wet and dry wipes);
diapers and bags for pets.

The metro also recommended that residents use central stations during alerts, as they tend to be less crowded.

Russian forces launched a massive strike on Ukraine, including Kyiv, in the early hours of July 2. City Mayor Vitali Klitschko called the attack the largest since the start of the full-scale war.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said Russian forces struck the defense industry, fuel and energy infrastructure, and airfields. The ministry described the attack as a response to “terrorist attacks by the Kyiv regime on civilian infrastructure” in Russia.

Dozens of buildings in Kyiv were damaged or partially destroyed in the strike. According to the latest reports, 21 people were killed and 100 injured. July 3 was declared a day of mourning in the city.

At Meduza, we are committed to transparency about our use of artificial intelligence in the newsroom. The story you’re reading was written by one of our living, breathing journalists and translated from Russian using an AI model configured to follow our strict editorial standards. This translation process is the result of extensive testing and refinements to ensure our English-language coverage is timely and accurate. A Meduza editor reviews every draft before publication.

If you find any errors in this translation, please contact us at reports@meduza.io.

To read Meduza’s exclusive content in English, please subscribe to our newsletter.

Why is it
important
to support
Meduza
now?Read here

52,000 Kyiv residents sheltered in the subway during Russia’s strike — the highest number on record

How many residents does Kyiv have in total?

{{ header_title }}

{{ title }} {{ second_title }}

{{ title }} {{ second_title }}

{{ title }} {{ second_title }}

{{ title }} {{ second_title }}

{{ title }} {{ second_title }}

{{ title }} {{ second_title }}

{{ title }} {{ second_title }}

{{ title }} {{ second_title }}

{{ title }} {{ second_title }}

{{ title }} {{ second_title }}

{{ title }} {{ second_title }}

{{ title }} {{ second_title }}

{{ title }}

{{ title }}

{{ title }} {{ second_title }}

{{ title }}

{{ second_title }}

52,000 Kyiv residents sheltered in the subway during Russia’s strike — the highest number on record

How many residents does Kyiv have in total?

{{{ alt }}}

{{ title }} {{ second_title }}

{{ title }} {{ second_title }}

{{ title }} {{ second_title }}

{{ title }} {{ second_title }}

{{ title }} {{ second_title }}

{{ title }} {{ second_title }}

{{ title }} {{ second_title }}

{{ title }} {{ second_title }}

{{ title }} {{ second_title }}

{{ title }} {{ second_title }}

{{ title }} {{ second_title }}

{{ title }} {{ second_title }}

{{ title }}

{{ title }}

{{ title }} {{ second_title }}

{{ title }}

{{ second_title }}