‘Only fools are not afraid’: Ukrainians adapt to life under constant Russian drone attacks
Living Under the Buzz: How Nikopol Residents Navigate Daily Drone Threats
Only fools are not afraid – While the occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant often dominates international news coverage, a quieter but equally perilous story unfolds in Nikopol, a southern Ukrainian city situated just across the Dnipro River. Local officials report that this frontline community has endured nearly daily assaults since Russia launched its full-scale invasion. The proximity of Russian military installations—merely two miles away on the opposite riverbank—has transformed civilian life into a constant exercise in vigilance and adaptation.
A City Transformed by Fear
Oleksandr Varytsev, a local poet who operates a charitable organization serving hot meals to elderly and disabled residents, describes the emotional landscape of Nikopol.
We’ve actually grown somewhat accustomed to the danger, though the feeling of fear never really goes away.
He notes that if the threat feels overwhelming to him, it must be even more intense for the older generations who visit his volunteer center. The terror is not abstract; it has claimed lives. In June, horrifying footage captured by authorities showed a Russian drone deliberately targeting an elderly woman in a wheelchair, resulting in three deaths, including the 87-year-old victim and her son. Earlier that year, in April, four additional residents perished when a drone struck a city bus.
These incidents represent a troubling shift in Russian tactics. Rather than focusing exclusively on military targets, FPV (first-person view) drones are increasingly hunting civilians. This pattern extends beyond Nikopol to other frontline urban centers such as Kherson and Kramatorsk. Despite Moscow’s repeated assertions that it is targeting Ukrainian Armed Forces positions, the evidence suggests otherwise.
Adapting to the New Normal
The frequency of aerial threats has escalated dramatically. According to Varytsev, drone sightings have surged from two or three per day to approximately three every hour, around the clock. This relentless pressure has compelled residents to fundamentally alter their daily routines. Outdoor spaces like bus stops are avoided; educational institutions including schools and kindergartens remain shuttered; and essential services such as the national postal system and municipal transportation operate on suspended schedules.
People are afraid to walk in the street, but they’re adapting to the new reality.
Varytsev explains that citizens now keep their heads raised constantly, no longer looking down at their feet as they move through the city. Before the conflict began, Nikopol was home to roughly 100,000 residents and was celebrated for its strawberry production destined for Ukrainian markets. Today, municipal estimates indicate that half of the population has departed.
Oleksii Kirillov, a freight transportation professional with over twenty years of experience in the city, observes the transformation firsthand.
The city is emptying before our eyes. The situation is very dangerous, and there are more and more attacks every day.
His priorities have shifted from commercial logistics to facilitating evacuations. Over the past four years, he has developed the ability to differentiate between fast-moving combat drones and slower reconnaissance aircraft. While fear has diminished somewhat, it persists.
Only fools are not afraid.
Technology Meets Survival
Nikopol’s streets are increasingly draped with overhead fishing nets designed to intercept incoming FPV drones. This innovation, now common across frontline cities from Kherson to Kramatorsk, is being extended to cover sidewalks as well, providing pedestrians with additional protection. Residents are also utilizing a city-wide mobile application that delivers real-time alerts about approaching aerial threats.
Emergency responders and certain businesses have been outfitted with handheld detection devices known as “Chuykas,” manufactured by the Ukrainian firm BlueBird Tech. These instruments emit beeps when detecting threats operating on analog radio frequencies. However, they cannot identify drones utilizing fiber-optic cables, digital signals, or pre-set navigation paths. Carmine Clemente, a professor of radar systems at Scotland’s University of Strathclyde, offers a measured assessment.
It’s better than nothing, but it’s not a silver bullet.
He notes that the devices typically provide at least a couple of minutes of warning—enough time to exit a bus and seek adequate shelter.
Kateryna Bondar, a senior fellow at Washington’s Center for Strategic and International Studies, observes that these detectors are being adopted by the civilian sector at rates exceeding military usage. Bus operators, drivers, emergency volunteers, medics, and soldiers alike have embraced the technology.
Every civilian can become a target because unfortunately Russians use
the drones indiscriminately, transforming ordinary streets into potential kill zones where survival depends on awareness, adaptation, and a healthy dose of fear.
