KYIV, Ukraine — In some cultures, people greet one another by asking: "Have you eaten?" In Ukraine's wartime capital, the question is more likely to be a wry, "Getting any sleep?"
More than 16 months after Russia launched its full-scale invasion, wailing air alerts routinely pierce the late-night and predawn hours, followed by the thunder of air defenses at work against incoming waves of missiles and drones in the skies over this city of some 3 million people.
In May and June, more than 200 Russian projectiles were shot down over the capital region, Ukrainian officials said. With the relentless pace of attacks, a full night of sound slumber is something to dream about — a rare treat, a treasure so often tantalizingly out of reach.
