Nearly 40,000 take shelter in Kyiv metro stations overnight

In the early hours of August 20, over 38,000 individuals, including more than 2,000 children, sought refuge in Kyiv metro stations, according to the Kyiv City State Administration's press service. The massive shelling during the night led to a significant surge in people taking shelter in the underground transit system. Last night, the air raid alert persisted for nearly 9 hours, as reported by Kyiv Metro on the administration's website.

The metro system operates 46 stations around the clock as shelters during air raid alerts, ensuring that all lobbies are open for entry to facilitate a swift route to safety. Metro employees, in collaboration with police, work to ensure prompt and unhindered access to the stations. The enterprise advises that if individuals need to use the metro as a shelter beforehand, they should arrive at the station before it concludes its passenger transport operations; operating schedules are displayed at every station.

Central stations are recommended whenever possible, as they typically offer more space to accommodate a larger number of people. Visitors are requested to bring only essential items and are advised against utilizing bulky items such as mattresses and tents, as these take up a substantial amount of space needed by others during enemy shelling.

The enterprise emphasizes the importance of avoiding sitting on escalators or leaving belongings on them, as these actions can hinder the quick operation of escalators in the event of an emergency evacuation. Notably, during the overnight attack on July 30, over 56,000 people sought refuge in the metro system, while on July 2, 52,500 residents utilized the metro, including nearly 4,500 children.