Residents of Kharkiv, Ukraine, are battling sleep deprivation after enduring two days of relentless Russian assaults.

On Friday around 1 am, Yuliia Verbytska woke to the sound of an air raid siren in Kharkiv, Ukraine. She immediately gathered her teenage children and sought shelter behind concrete walls with her neighbors. Minutes later, a Russian drone struck a nearby soap factory, resulting in a massive explosion. Verbytska, who works as a volunteer at the Heart of Kharkiv charity, expressed her lack of faith in promises and words from politicians following the attack. The bombing campaign continued despite peace negotiations and a ceasefire plea by Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Emergency service workers were still putting out fires at the ruined factory the following morning. Anton, the complex’s security guard, dismissed any hopes of a quick resolution to the conflict, describing the Russian forces as “fascists” and “barbarians.” On Instagram, embeds have been added to enhance the article.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/apr/26/i-havent-slept-for-two-days-kharkiv-residents-reel-from-russian-attacks