Nikopol residents adapt to daily Russian drone attacks

Nikopol, a city of about 100,000 people on the Dnipro River in southern Ukraine, has been hit almost every day by short‑range Russian FPV drones since the war began. Attacks have risen from a few per day to roughly three per hour, day and night. Notable incidents include a June strike that killed an 87‑year‑old woman in a wheelchair and her son, and an April drone hit on a city bus that killed four people.

The constant threat has forced residents to change daily routines: schools and kindergartens are closed, postal and bus services are frequently suspended, and people avoid public spaces such as bus stops. Poet and charity organizer Oleksandr Varytsev said, “We’ve actually grown somewhat accustomed to the danger, though the feeling of fear never really goes away.” Local officials estimate that about half the population has fled the city as the situation remains dangerous.