Read how Russian shelling has affected the migration of Kyiv residents in a joint study by the Civil Network OPORA and Kyivstar Telecommunications Company.

In September 2022, Russia began massive shelling of Ukraine’s critical and civilian infrastructure and, since then, has fired more than 1,600 missiles of various types and used more than 1,650 Shahed UAV 131/136.

To fulfill its terrorist whims, Russia really spared no resources, causing serious damage to Ukraine’s electric power system, which in turn, among other things, provoked mass emigration of Ukrainians abroad in the previous fall-winter period of 2022-2023.

Although winter passed and serious power outages stopped, the Kremlin has not abandoned its terrorist methods of warfare. For example, in May 2023, the Russian occupiers deliberately shelled the capital of Ukraine. In particular, in just one month, Kyiv suffered 17 attacks, with the Kremlin carrying out two strikes at once on May 29. 

The Kyiv City Military Administration reported that about 169 UAVs, 7 Kinzhal aerial ballistic missiles, 13 Iskander ballistic missiles, and 65 cruise missiles (X-101, X-555, and Kalibr) were destroyed over Kyiv alone.

This study covered departures and returns of residents of the capital from April 15 through June 15, 2023, inclusive. A departure was defined as a person leaving Kyiv for a period of 7 days or more, and a return was defined as a stay in Kyiv for 5 days or more after departure. Calculations were made by gender and social status: employed, unemployed, retirees and students. Some aspects of the study included the internal-Ukrainian migration of Kyiv residents across regions and districts, traveling abroad and returning to the capital. Due to legal and program restrictions, data with a value of “less than 10 departures” within groups and regions were not considered when aggregating data and describing the results of the study.

Read the full brief “How Migration Was Affected by Russia’s Targeted Shelling of Kyiv in May 2023” in English