‘It’s a constant race’: the volunteers protecting Kyiv’s skies from new jet-powered drones

Russia’s latest weapons have left Ukraine’s civilian air defence teams frantically trying to adapt as winter approaches

Several hours into Kyiv’s nightly curfew, much of the capital lay dark and quiet. High above, on the roof of a grey tower block on the city’s outskirts, a small group of men in uniform stood beside two heavy machine guns, scanning the horizon. Soon, a drone appeared.

Once, its unmistakable buzz would have sent the men scrambling towards their weapons. Now, the air defence unit will check speed and altitude on a monitor before taking a decision.

The Mriya air defence crew on a rooftop in Kyiv.