Despite Trump’s rhetorical bravado, his administration’s confidence in its ability to force Russia to make peace, and global media speculations about imminent negotiations, the Kremlin’s aerial attacks on civilian targets in Ukraine’s cities, towns, and villages continue unabated.
Every night, from several dozen to over a hundred attack UAVs target Ukrainian cities. Every day, ballistic missile strikes hit cities deep in Ukraine’s rear, causing immense suffering to civilians. Daily, people are killed, dozens are injured, infrastructure and residential buildings are destroyed, and property is lost.
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However, Ukrainian rescuers, medics, and utility workers perform miracles – managing to eliminate the consequences of Russian attacks in just a few days. Sometimes, it seems as if nothing happened the next day after a heavy attack. How do they do this? Kyiv Post investigated these feats at an oft-targeted locale in the capital city.
Video version you can find here.
Lukyanivka, a neighborhood near the center of Kyiv, is regularly targeted by Russian missile attacks—the last one occurred here just over a week ago.
During the latest attack, the Russians launched several ballistic missiles. Four people were killed – some burned alive in their cars near the metro station entrance.
The staff of the nearby McDonald’s managed to rush to the shelter at the last moment – all those workers from the franchise survived.
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Here’s what this place looked like minutes after the strike. One of the eyewitnesses sent us this video. One missile left the avenue resembling a lake.
“I arrived at the scene an hour after the strike, and the situation was terrible. The destruction to the structure and road surface was significant—a 50-60 square meters crater shattered windows and doors and destroyed public transport stops. Water was flowing everywhere due to a ruptured main water supply system. It was a horrific sight,” says Lyudmila Obodzinska, head of the Shevchenko Department of KP Kyivavtodor.
Lyudmila Obodzinska heads a local utility service that is responsible for road repairs and maintenance. She was one of the first on-site. While firefighters rescued people and fought the flames, her team cleared the area to enable repairs. All this was done despite the constant threat of a second strike – what the Russians call a “double-tap,” where they inflict death and destruction followed by a strike on rescuers and volunteers to up their body count.
“The task is always the same. It is a matter of honor – to clear the area as much as possible and ensure traffic flow because the city must continue to function,” the official says.
She points to the spot where the crater once was. Within a day, the roadway was fully repaired, and public transportation resumed operations.
“Under martial law, we have long adapted our work, transforming from simple cleaners and road workers to operatives tasked with clearing and repairing damage,” Obodzinska recounts.
“At 8 a.m. that day, our road service, repair team, and cleaning crew arrived. By 9 a.m., after police clearance, we started cleaning alongside the Metro. The water supply and power grid were restored within a day, and by 3 p.m., the trolleybus service in both directions was back.”
Employees of the Lukyanivska metro station were no less active. The missile strike occurred early in the morning, around 6 a.m. Incredibly, by noon the same day, the station resumed operations and started handling passengers.
“The stained-glass windows, the lobby entrances and exits, the light dome, the first-floor windows, and parts of the second-floor structure were almost destroyed,” says Ivan Biryukov, head of stations and tunnel structures on the Syretsko-Pecherska metro line. “Our priority was to clear debris, dismantle hazardous elements, and create safe passenger pathways. By afternoon, the station was ready to receive passengers.”
Workers are now conducting cosmetic repairs – boarding up broken windows and patching walls so the station can function normally. They promise to complete this in a few days.
“We’re carrying out restoration work after the attack by Russian jackals,” says foreman Serhiy Lishchynskyi.
Serhiy Lishchynskyi has worked on restoring all Kyiv metro stations damaged by shelling. He’s been in every dangerous area. He admits it’s terrifying, but his hands work automatically, even under air raid alarms.
“Well, someone has to do the work. If another missile strikes, it strikes,” says Lishchynskyi. “What can you do? We’ve already experienced multiple attacks in Kyiv. I work across the metro wherever there’s a critical situation. I’ve served all the lines.”
How do Kyiv public utilities manage all this? They don’t reveal their secrets but insist that despite exhaustion, it’s a matter of honor to restore the city’s functionality as quickly as possible. Professionalism plays a role.
“I believe this is how municipal services across all districts work,” says Obodzinska. “We just receive more strikes because we’re in the central district, so we have more experience. The standards are the same for everyone—traffic must be restored quickly.”
Experience also plays a part. Workers at this metro station already know the drill after repeated attacks. Even the necessary materials are pre-prepared.
“This is the fourth major attack, and we’ve done these types of repairs multiple times. We’ve done these repairs four times already,” Biryukov recalls.
For Serhiy Lishchynskyi, it’s more than a job – it’s his life’s work. No matter what the Russians do, he remains steadfast.
“How old are you?”
“61. I’ve dedicated 40 years to the Kyiv Metro.”
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