Kyiv Metro Sees Record Shelter Crowd as 52,500 Flee Russia's Overnight Attack

Russia’s Thursday overnight assault on Kyiv drove a record number of civilians into the city’s underground metro system, where 52,500 people, including nearly 4,500 children, sought shelter.According to the Kyiv Metro, it was the highest number of people to shelter in the subway during a nighttime air raid in recent years.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.Thursday’s overnight assault, involving hundreds of drones and ballistic missiles, damaged more than 20 residential buildings and a medical facility across several districts of the capital.

‼️ The capital's metro is packed with people, everyone is preparing for shelling and a difficult night pic.twitter.com/VBtzqoiX15— MAKS 26 🇺🇦👀 (@Maks_NAFO_FELLA) July 1, 2026

Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said Kyiv sustained the heaviest damage from the attack.As of now, emergency crews are working at multiple strike sites as investigators document the destruction and search for additional victims, with authorities warning that the death toll – 17 at the time of publication – could rise as rescue operations continue.The attack came hours after President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukrainian intelligence had detected preparations for what he described as a large-scale Russian strike.Kyiv’s underground sheltersKyiv’s metro operates 46 underground stations as public shelters during air raid alerts.All station entrances remain open to allow residents to take cover, while metro employees continue operating the transit system and managing thousands of civilians seeking refuge.Kyiv Metro advises residents planning to stay overnight in metro stations to arrive before stations close to regular passenger entry, notify metro staff or police of their intention to remain overnight, and follow instructions on where to settle on the platforms.