Ukrainian rescuers work at the site of an aerial attack in Kharkiv on July 24. This has been the deadliest summer so far in Russia's war on Ukraine, which began in February, 2022.SERGEY BOBOK/AFP/Getty Images

Ruchi Kumar is an Istanbul-based journalist who covers conflict, politics and gender.

The nights in Kyiv can get very loud. The explosions, which often sound like thunder, indicate the defence forces deflecting the hundreds of Russian drones and missiles infecting Ukraine’s skies.

Some of them manage to get past the defences and crash into residential buildings, schools, universities and even hospitals. An Iranian-designed Shahed drone is the size of a small car, so even the debris falling from a drone successfully shot down can cause tremendous damage.

On many mornings, Ukrainians find themselves emerging from bomb shelters to find the air thick with smoke and ground full of wreckage. The next few hours are spent finding the dead, rescuing the injured, and picking up pieces of what is left of their homes and businesses.

Russian strikes kill 27 civilians in Ukraine despite Trump threats

Such scenes have become increasingly routine in the last few months, as Russia has escalated its attacks on Ukraine, making this summer the deadliest since the start of its full-scale invasion in February, 2022. The attacks come on the heels of failed peace negotiations, which itself followed the United State’s shift from being Ukraine’s biggest ally to gradually starving the embattled country, where I recently spent two weeks, of its support.

In Kyiv and other cities, I saw a population fighting for its very survival as enemy missiles and drones are becoming increasingly familiar sights in the skies. On the ground, traces of war-related desolation are everywhere, from damaged civilian infrastructure to worrying speculations over an uncertain future.

Ukrainians have adapted their lives to the daily violence, and security protocols dictate much of everyday lives. Air raid alarms can interrupt the most mundane daily activity, and an afternoon coffee with friends or a fast food........

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