Ukraine war: How Kyiv boosts defence, mobilises civilians amid increased Russian attacks
As Kyiv reels from back-to-back Russian aerial assaults, the city is scrambling to strengthen its defences, mobilise volunteers, and recalibrate its tactics for a fast-changing battlefield.
In an exclusive interview with Khaleej Times, Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv City Military Administration, said the capital's defenders remain 'motivated and well-prepared' despite the mounting pressure. 'Our soldiers clearly understand their tasks and responsibilities,' he said. 'They are defending their city, their homes, and their families.'
Kyiv, Ukraine's capital and largest city, is home to nearly three million residents. As the country's political and administrative nerve centre, it has been a prime target throughout the war. While many Russian strikes have focused on power plants and infrastructure, recent attacks have also hit residential areas, prompting a stepped-up response from city authorities.
Tkachenko's comments come in the wake of two of the most intense strikes on the city this year. On June 17, a Russian missile and drone attack killed 28 people and injured 134. Days later, on June 26, Russian forces launched 371 drones and missiles in a single night -- 365 of which were intercepted, according to Ukrainian officials.
The latest escalation came on Sunday, when a Ukrainian F-16 pilot was killed while repelling an overnight Russian assault involving hundreds of drones, cruise, and ballistic missiles. The attack damaged homes and infrastructure across the country and injured at least a dozen people, local authorities said.
In Kyiv, families sought shelter in metro stations as air raid sirens blared. Gunfire and explosions echoed across the capital and in the western city of Lviv, where such attacks are rare.
Just days earlier, Kyiv's civic spirit had shone through following another deadly barrage. In the hard-hit Solomianskyi district, children helped with the cleanup and later posed with Tkachenko as he handed out gifts and commendations—what he called a 'testament to the resilience of our community."
To counter the escalating threat, Kyiv has expanded its territorial defence formations, encouraging civilian participation. 'Anyone willing can apply to join,' he said. 'Volunteers selected for air defence undergo specialised training and are actively involved in operations.'
The city also backs these efforts financially. 'Kyiv allocates a significant portion of its budget to support these units,' Tkachenko said. 'We are working to ensure this support continues to grow.'
Challenges
One of the biggest challenges now, he said, is Russia's use of increasingly autonomous drones that are harder to detect or jam. 'Our military specialists thoroughly examine downed enemy drones,' Tkachenko explained. 'Based on their analysis, we develop countermeasures and implement improved defence solutions.'
Kyiv is also recruiting civilians with technical expertise for roles in drone interception and cyber defence. 'This appeals especially to those who want to contribute to Ukraine's defence in a modern and impactful way,' he said.
Security threats aren't limited to the skies.
Reports emerged recently of an alleged assassination plot targeting President Volodymyr Zelensky, said to involve a sleeper agent recruited during the Soviet era. Khaleej Times reached out to Russia's Ministry of Defence for a response to the allegations but did not receive a comment by the time of publication.
In Kyiv, Tkachenko confirmed that counter-sabotage operations are ongoing in the capital. 'These are carried out continuously,' he said, 'through the cooperation of the military, police, and the Security Service of Ukraine.' He added that none of the elements of these operations are public.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The National
an hour ago
- The National
UN chief calls for more spending on development aid as US snubs Spanish conference
UN chief Antonio Guterres has urged the international community to "rev up the engine of development" aid in "a world shaken by inequalities, climate chaos and raging conflicts". Nations gathered on Monday in Seville for a UN conference were told both by host Spain and senior UN officials to spend more on development aid, but a last-minute US withdrawal from the conference raised doubts about their ability to narrow the gap between rich and poor countries. The withdrawal of the US, previously a major contributor, was not directly addressed by officials, though they acknowledged difficulties in convincing countries to spend more to narrow the $4 trillion annual financing gap to promote development. Opening the conference, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said delegates were gathered "to accelerate investment" faced with the "massive headwinds" buffeting the sector. Those challenges included "a slowing economy; rising trade tensions and decimated aid budgets; a world shaken by inequalities; climate chaos and raging conflicts", he said. Mr Guterres added: "The link between peace and development is clear. Nine of the 10 countries with the lowest Human Development Indicators are currently in a state of conflict." The four-day meeting in southern Spain is taking place as many countries face escalating debt burdens, declining investments, decreasing international aid and increasing trade barriers. The director general of the World Trade Organisation, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, said that the introduction of trade tariffs - a policy strongly pushed by US President Donald Trump - would lead to the further contraction of trade forecasts from close to 3 per cent for 2025 to 0.1 per cent. "We currently estimate that global merchandise trade volumes will basically be flat," Ms Okonjo-Iweala said. "I don't think that the conference has ever gathered in such difficult times." Up to $2 trillion are locked up in " harmful subsidies," according to Ms Okonjo-Iweala, including fisheries and fossil fuels that could be used instead to help achieve the badly lagging 2030 Sustainable Developments Goals. "Recognising the political difficulties involved in phasing out subsidies - I know this is not easy," she said. Official development assistance "remains stagnant or declining", UN Under-Secretary General Li Junhua said. "External debt servicing now consumes over 20 per cent of the public revenues in many lower income countries." Risks of tighter financing conditions for developing countries are growing, warned IMF deputy managing director Nigel Clarke. Countries must prioritise strong domestic reforms. "Many countries can boost resources available to them by broadening the tax base and improving compliance," Mr Clarke said. Meanwhile, King of Spain Felipe VI said he hoped the conference would be a success. "The tremendous shifts that we are living through heading towards a new form of geopolitics cannot and must not lead to a total revision of the rule of law or solidarity of human dignity of the world," he said. More than 70 world leaders were expected in Seville, along with several thousand others from international financial institutions, development banks, philanthropic organizations, the private sector and civil society. At its last preparatory meeting on June 17, the US rejected the 38-page outcome document that had been negotiated for months by the UN's 193 member nations and announced its withdrawal from the process and from the Seville conference. Speaking last week, UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed said the US withdrawal from the conference was 'unfortunate,' stressing that 'many of the recommendations you see cannot be pursued without a continuous engagement with the US'. After Seville, "we will engage again with the US and hope that we can make the case that they be part of the success of pulling millions of people out of poverty'. The rest of the countries then approved the document by consensus and sent it to Seville, where it is expected to be adopted by conference participants without changes. It will be known as the Seville Commitment – or Compromiso de Sevilla in Spanish. The document says the leaders and high-level representatives have decided to launch 'an ambitious package of reforms and actions to close the financing gap with urgency,' saying it is now estimated at $4 trillion a year. Among the proposals and actions, it calls for minimum tax revenue of 15 per cent of a country's gross domestic product to increase government resources, a tripling of lending by multilateral development banks, and scaling up private financing by providing incentives for investing in critical areas like infrastructure. It also calls for a number of reforms to help countries deal with rising debt. While the US objected to many actions in the outcome document, American diplomat Jonathan Shrier told the June 17 meeting: 'Our commitment to international cooperation and long-term economic development remains steadfast.'
Khaleej Times
3 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
UN chief urges aid surge in world of 'climate chaos, raging conflicts'
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged the world to "rev up the engine of development" at an aid conference in Spain on Monday at a time when US-led cuts are jeopardising the fight against poverty and climate change. Dozens of world leaders and more than 4,000 representatives from businesses, civil society and financial institutions are gathering in the city of Seville for the June 30-July 3 conference to seek fresh impetus for the crisis-hit aid sector. But the United States is snubbing the biggest such talks in a decade, underlining the erosion of international cooperation on combating hunger, disease and climate change. Guterres told delegates at the opening of the conference that two-thirds of United Nations sustainable development goals set for 2030 were "lagging" and more than $4.0 trillion of annual investment would be needed to achieve them. US President Donald Trump's gutting of his country's development agency, USAID, is the standout example. But Germany, Britain and France are also making cuts while they boost spending in areas such as defence. International charity Oxfam says the cuts to development aid are the largest since 1960. More than 800 million people live on less than $3.0 a day, according to the World Bank, with rising extreme poverty affecting sub-Saharan Africa in particular. Disruption to global trade from Trump's tariffs and ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine have dealt further blows to the diplomatic cohesion necessary for concentrating efforts on helping countries escape poverty. The crisis meant children going unvaccinated, girls dropping out of school and families suffering hunger, said Guterres. He urged the international community to "change course" and "repair and rev up the engine of development to accelerate investment" in "a world shaken by inequalities, climate chaos and raging conflicts". A blistering heatwave that is scorching southern Europe welcomed the delegates to the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development, an example of the extreme weather that scientists say human-driven climate change is fuelling. 'Colonial debt' Kenya's William Ruto, Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, Ecuador's Daniel Noboa, Angolan leader Joao Lourenco and Sudanese army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan were among prominent Global South leaders in Seville. Among the key topics up for discussion is reforming international finance to help poorer countries shrug off a growing debt burden that inhibits their capacity to achieve progress in health and education. The total external debt of the group of least developed countries has more than tripled in 15 years, according to UN data. Critics have singled out US-based bulwarks of the post-World War II international financial system, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, for reform to improve their representation of the Global South. Painstaking talks in New York in June produced a common declaration to be adopted in Seville that only went ahead after the United States walked out. The document reaffirms commitment to the UN development goals such as eliminating poverty and hunger, promoting gender equality, reforming tax systems and international financial institutions. The text also calls on development banks to triple their lending capacity, urges lenders to ensure predictable finance for essential social spending and for more cooperation against tax evasion. Coalitions of countries will seek to spearhead initiatives in addition to the so-called "Seville Commitment", which is not legally binding. But campaigners have criticised the text for lacking ambition and have rung alarm bells about rising global inequality. Hundreds of demonstrators braved the sizzling heat in Seville on Sunday to demand change in international tax, debt and aid policies. "Global South countries will never be able to decide how they want to do development if they are bound to the new colonial debt," protester Ilan Henzler, 28, told AFP.
Khaleej Times
11 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
Ukraine war: How Kyiv boosts defence, mobilises civilians amid increased Russian attacks
As Kyiv reels from back-to-back Russian aerial assaults, the city is scrambling to strengthen its defences, mobilise volunteers, and recalibrate its tactics for a fast-changing battlefield. In an exclusive interview with Khaleej Times, Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv City Military Administration, said the capital's defenders remain 'motivated and well-prepared' despite the mounting pressure. 'Our soldiers clearly understand their tasks and responsibilities,' he said. 'They are defending their city, their homes, and their families.' Kyiv, Ukraine's capital and largest city, is home to nearly three million residents. As the country's political and administrative nerve centre, it has been a prime target throughout the war. While many Russian strikes have focused on power plants and infrastructure, recent attacks have also hit residential areas, prompting a stepped-up response from city authorities. Tkachenko's comments come in the wake of two of the most intense strikes on the city this year. On June 17, a Russian missile and drone attack killed 28 people and injured 134. Days later, on June 26, Russian forces launched 371 drones and missiles in a single night -- 365 of which were intercepted, according to Ukrainian officials. The latest escalation came on Sunday, when a Ukrainian F-16 pilot was killed while repelling an overnight Russian assault involving hundreds of drones, cruise, and ballistic missiles. The attack damaged homes and infrastructure across the country and injured at least a dozen people, local authorities said. In Kyiv, families sought shelter in metro stations as air raid sirens blared. Gunfire and explosions echoed across the capital and in the western city of Lviv, where such attacks are rare. Just days earlier, Kyiv's civic spirit had shone through following another deadly barrage. In the hard-hit Solomianskyi district, children helped with the cleanup and later posed with Tkachenko as he handed out gifts and commendations—what he called a 'testament to the resilience of our community." To counter the escalating threat, Kyiv has expanded its territorial defence formations, encouraging civilian participation. 'Anyone willing can apply to join,' he said. 'Volunteers selected for air defence undergo specialised training and are actively involved in operations.' The city also backs these efforts financially. 'Kyiv allocates a significant portion of its budget to support these units,' Tkachenko said. 'We are working to ensure this support continues to grow.' Challenges One of the biggest challenges now, he said, is Russia's use of increasingly autonomous drones that are harder to detect or jam. 'Our military specialists thoroughly examine downed enemy drones,' Tkachenko explained. 'Based on their analysis, we develop countermeasures and implement improved defence solutions.' Kyiv is also recruiting civilians with technical expertise for roles in drone interception and cyber defence. 'This appeals especially to those who want to contribute to Ukraine's defence in a modern and impactful way,' he said. Security threats aren't limited to the skies. Reports emerged recently of an alleged assassination plot targeting President Volodymyr Zelensky, said to involve a sleeper agent recruited during the Soviet era. Khaleej Times reached out to Russia's Ministry of Defence for a response to the allegations but did not receive a comment by the time of publication. In Kyiv, Tkachenko confirmed that counter-sabotage operations are ongoing in the capital. 'These are carried out continuously,' he said, 'through the cooperation of the military, police, and the Security Service of Ukraine.' He added that none of the elements of these operations are public.
