Ukraine Telegram channels track Russian missiles over Kyiv

Ukrainian Telegram channels are sending rapid warnings about Russian drones and missiles, giving Kyiv residents extra information as some Russian ballistic missiles can reach the capital within minutes of an official air raid alert.

One channel, Aeris Rimor, sends real-time posts on incoming threats to about 150,000 followers. AFP journalists observed its 19-year-old administrator, identified only as Esko, during a recent overnight attack after agreeing not to disclose his identity and some operational details.

After an air raid alert sounded shortly after midnight, Esko saw a red missile indicator on a live map used by Ukraine's air defence units and posted: “KYIV TARGET!” He said the missile would reach Kyiv in about a minute, then posted the names of districts he believed were being targeted. Explosions were heard over the capital seconds later.

The channels operate in a legal grey area and use information from air force contacts. Esko would not publicly say how he accessed the map.

Ukraine's air force spokesman Yuri Ignat told AFP the authorities tolerate the monitoring channels. “We can't ban them. They exist, they inform the public, for some people that's convenient,” he said. But he warned channel operators not to post “excess information” that Russia could use.

The warnings have become part of nightly decision-making in Kyiv. During one night of mixed signals about a possible Russian strike, Kateryna Reshetnyk said she went to the subway with her mother and grandmother after comparing several channels she considered reliable. The night passed without a major strike.

Esko said people often ask him for advice, but he can only tell them that something might happen and they must decide for themselves.