In Ukraine, air raid alerts will be classified as yellow or red levels

Ukraine will change its air raid alert system—yellow and red threat levels will be introduced. This should give people and businesses a clear understanding of how to respond during a drone or missile attack.

This was announced by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

According to the head of state, the changes are related to new Russian attack tactics, particularly the use of drones to wear down cities and the economy over the long term.

Generally, the yellow alert level will be declared in response to a drone attack. The red alert level will indicate a missile threat, specifically the risk of ballistic strikes, as well as a massive attack.

The authorities intend to create distinct audible alerts for the two levels. This should help people immediately understand how serious the threat is and how to respond to it.

The authorities also plan to more precisely define the territory where the alert will be declared. In other words, the alert should primarily apply to those areas where there is a real threat.

Separately, they will review the rules for operations during a yellow alert. The government, local authorities, the military, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the State Emergency Service must determine which government agencies, businesses, and other facilities will be able to continue operating under such conditions.

Another area of focus is shelters. Cities and communities plan to update requirements regarding their location and number. This includes, in particular, modular shelters, the installation of which they intend to scale up.

AsZelenskyy emphasized, the goal of these changes is to make the response to attacks more understandable to the public and to enable businesses to better plan their operations during air threats.

It is worth noting that in August 2026, air raid alerts were issued more frequently in the Odesa region than in July—306 times compared to 286. At the same time, the number of reports of explosions decreased by nearly a third.

Ірина Глухова