Twenty alerts a day are no longer surprising: Vitaliy Kim called Kyiv more on edge than Mykolaiv

The situation in Mykolaiv is currently more stable than in Kyiv, despite regular Russian attacks on frontline settlements in the region.

This was said by the head of the Mykolaiv Regional Military Administration, Vitaliy Kim, in an interview with “Ukrainian News”, published on 19 June 2026.

According to the regional head, Mykolaiv continues to live as normal a life as possible during the full-scale war. Schools, entrepreneurs and other institutions are operating in the city.

At the same time, Vitaliy Kim stressed that one cannot assert that Russian strikes land on the regional center every day. A significant portion of the attacks is directed at frontline communities of Mykolaiv Oblast.

Settlements of Ochakiv, Kutsurub, Kobleve and other communities located closer to the combat zone are particularly often hit.

Comparing the situation in the two cities, Vitaliy Kim said that residents of frontline regions perceive the drone threat differently, because they remember missile and artillery shelling, to which it is practically impossible to respond in time.

“But now Kyiv may be more dangerous, more alarming, because the city is being heavily shelled. Frontline towns do not react to ‘Shaheds’ drones in the same way. We remember what an S-300 is, what artillery is, when you simply don’t have time to react at all.”

According to Vitaliy Kim, prolonged life under war conditions affects the psychological perception of threats. Over time, people’s sense of danger partially atrophies, and residents begin to assess information about the movement of aerial targets on their own.

People follow monitoring channels’ reports and try to understand whether an enemy drone is heading directly toward the city or transiting in another direction.

The regional head noted that up to 20 air raid alerts can sound in Mykolaiv within a single day.

“There can be 20 alerts a day in Mykolaiv. People see that something is flying, for example, in transit toward Odesa. And they don’t react. Conversely, if there is a threat — they react.”

At the same time, this habit of constant alerts does not mean that Mykolaiv has become safe. Russian forces continue to attack the city and region with strike unmanned aerial vehicles, missiles and drones of various types.

Even the transit movement of an aerial target can change, and debris from shot-down drones also poses a threat to residential buildings, vehicles and people.

Just during June 2026, Mykolaiv has already recorded wounded residents, damaged houses, cars, businesses and infrastructure facilities.

Vitaliy Kim himself has previously acknowledged that even a high percentage of shot-down Russian drones does not guarantee full safety for civilians. A single drone that breaks through air defenses can lead to deaths, injuries and significant destruction.

Therefore, the claim of a more stable situation in Mykolaiv should not be taken as a signal that air raid alerts can be ignored.

Previously we wrote:

• Seven drone attacks in one day: Russians again kept the Mykolaiv region in their sights
• Even 90% of shot-down targets do not guarantee safety: Kim explained the risks for civilians
• Again – Mykolaiv residents wounded and destruction: Russians do not stop attacks day or night
• Massive attack on Mykolaiv: people wounded, houses, a business and cars damaged
• A Shahed arrived — the city counts its windows: Mykolaiv under attack again