European Union Ambassador to Ukraine Katarina Mathernova is sleeping on a mattress in her bathroom every night as continuous Russian air attacks strike the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv.
Writing on Facebook, the senior diplomat said she had moved to her hotel bathroom as it was the safest location in her room, before heading down to a shelter after 2:00 a.m. when air raid sirens alerted the city to incoming missiles and drones.
Mathernova said Kyiv began shaking from explosions as Russian forces launched a massive overnight bombardment on September 1 using ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and a large fleet of jet drones. She reported that blasts echoed across the entire city during the strike.
Targeting vital infrastructure
The EU envoy noted that Russian strikes are increasingly targeting the essential supply lines and infrastructure keeping Ukraine functioning, including railway lines, industrial facilities, logistics hubs, and border crossings.
Mathernova acknowledged that she was tired and felt scared at times, but insisted she was not complaining about her situation. She said Kyiv was her mission and stated that, even with all her current experience and knowledge, she would not choose any other diplomatic assignment because of her love for the city and admiration for the nation.
However, the ambassador warned that enduring the relentless intensity of the bombardment was becoming increasingly difficult for the population. She stated that people and cities across Ukraine were exhausted after living under relentless stress for nearly five years.
Mathernova added that Ukrainians did not need lessons in resilience because they demonstrated it every day, but said they urgently needed the opportunity to get a full night of sleep.
Fatal strikes on railway facilities
The overnight assault on September 1 inflicted severe damage on transport targets in the capital. Russian strikes hit a railway depot and multiple other railway facilities in Kyiv, killing seven people, six of whom were railway workers.
According to news agency UNIAN, Russian forces deployed a complex array of weaponry during the barrage, firing Iskander-M, KN-23, and S-400 ballistic missiles alongside Zircon anti-ship missiles, Kalibr cruise missiles, and Kh-31P anti-radiation missiles.
Military reports confirmed that the offensive also involved Banderol loitering munitions and 218 Shahed-type strike drones directed at targets across Ukrainian territory.
Mathernova leads the Delegation of the European Union to Ukraine, which coordinates diplomatic relations and support from the 27-member European bloc in Kyiv. Russian forces have regularly targeted Ukrainian cities with combined missile and drone salvos, leaving diplomats and residents reliant on underground shelters and reinforced interior rooms for safety.
