Residents of Pavlohrad, in eastern Ukraine, were first jolted from their sleep by the bursts of anti-aircraft guns. The night of May 21 to 22 promised to be long and grueling. As the frenzied salvos rang out, the buzzing of Russian long-range Shahed drones gradually grew louder, approaching or suddenly diving toward their targets in a terrifying crescendo.

People living along the Vovcha River, which runs north to south through this city of 100,000 inhabitants, had a front-row view, as these drones often follow waterways to avoid obstacles. Deafening explosions resounded, caused by the explosive charges of the Shaheds, detonating either in flight or upon reaching their targets.

The bombardment lasted about 20 minutes, coming in three waves. In total, there were 30 explosions that rattled walls and made windows shake. "They could wake the dead," said the receptionist, heavy bags under her eyes, of a shabby motel on the main road between Dnipro and Pokrovsk the next morning. The previous evening, with sarcasm, she wished her clients a "boring night."

Infernal nightly aerial ballet

Due to its proximity to the front – 100 kilometers away – and its logistical importance for the defense of the Donbas, Pavlohrad is frequently targeted by airstrikes. But almost all Ukrainian cities are victims of such attacks. Residents of Kyiv, Odesa, Kryvyi Rih and Dnipro suffer from even greater insomnia. These cities have borne the brunt of aerial attacks, which have intensified in recent weeks to the point of becoming daily occurrences.

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