Zelenskyy: Ukraine to introduce yellow and red air-raid alert levels, change siren signals

Ukraine will introduce yellow and red air-raid alert levels and change the sound signals used during warnings, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. Under the new civil-defense system, the yellow level will generally be declared during drone attacks, while the red level will apply to missile threats, the risk of ballistic strikes, and massed attacks.

The siren will sound only when an alert is first declared and will not be triggered again when the all-clear is given, ending the current practice of a repeated signal at the end of an alert. Authorities also plan to introduce more precise geographic targeting of threatened areas, replacing broader regional declarations.

During yellow alerts, designated government institutions, enterprises, and other economic and social facilities will be permitted to continue operating. In Kyiv, the Syretsko-Pecherska metro line will run at full capacity and the curfew will be shortened. City authorities also plan to increase ground transport between Lisova and Dnipro stations.

Rules for the operation of schools and kindergartens will remain unchanged.