«Three minutes of air raid alarm is sheer madness»: Mykolaiv residents complain about the long and loud sirens
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- Alisa MelikadamianContributing Editor, Reporter
Residents of Mykolaiv are asking the authorities to adjust the volume of the air-raid sirens. Photo: NikVesti, Serhiy OvcharishynResidents of Mykolaiv are complaining about the duration and volume of the air-raid sirens.
A local resident, Olena Dmitrieva, posted a complaint to the Mykolaiv City Council’s Contact Centre.
She asked why the air-raid sirens in Mykolaiv last for several minutes, even though the city authorities had previously stated that they would be reduced to 30 seconds or one minute.
«Why is the air-raid siren constantly sounding in Mykolaiv? The city authorities promised that the sirens would be shorter than 30 seconds or one minute, but they still last three minutes, just as before. When will the adjustments be made? The issue of the volume of the sirens has not gone away either; in some places, it exceeds all standards,» the woman wrote.
Residents left dozens of comments under the post, complaining about the duration, volume and frequent repetition of the sirens.
«An alarm that lasts 3 minutes is just maddening. One question — why on earth does it have to be so long? Give us 30 seconds; everyone will hear it. People who don’t have a siren right outside their windows won’t understand this nonsense 24/7,» wrote Vadym Sevidov, a resident of Mykolaiv.
Natalia, a resident of Lisky, said that in her neighbourhood the sirens can be heard from several directions at once, several times in a row.
«The alarm is blaring from all sides (from the railway station, the hill, the port, the maritime station…) and not just once as before, but three times… for red, for yellow, just blaring for no apparent reason and on and off. We’re completely confused now. And on top of all this chaos, in Abissinia, beneath the windows of the blocks of flats, someone has an Alabai dog which reacts to every alarm, and that poor animal howls so much that it’s impossible even to open the windows,» she wrote.
Residents complain that prolonged siren sounds can have a negative impact on their mental health.
«Such prolonged and loud sirens are harmful to people’s physical and mental health. In some densely populated areas (for example, the Kosmonavtiv district near the ATP), several sirens have been installed right next to one another. Do the local authorities really not understand the negative impact this has on people in the city’s residential areas, who are constantly woken up several times a night, especially the elderly? Of course, there are no such sirens under their (the city and regional leaders’) windows. And tell me, where are people in high-rise blocks supposed to flee to? Has anyone ever seen anyone running to a bomb shelter during an alarm? I’m sure that more than half the people don’t even know where they are, and even if they do, the risk of coming under fire is higher on the street than simply staying inside a building. Why sound the alarm in Mykolaiv when, say, a Shahed is flying over Kobleve (for example) in transit… Compared to Odessa, the sirens in Mykolaiv are much louder and last much longer,» wrote Dmytro Sterlev.
It should be noted that this is not the first time residents of Mykolaiv have voiced such complaints. City dwellers have repeatedly complained about the air-raid sirens being too loud and have asked for the volume to be turned down or for the duration of the sirens to be reduced. The authorities explained that the installed sirens have factory settings which cannot be changed.
In September 2026, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced changes to the air-raid sirens. Two threat levels were also introduced — yellow and red. The yellow level will generally correspond to drone attacks, whilst the red level will correspond to missile threats, in particular the threat of ballistic attacks, as well as massive strikes.
The Education Ombudsman explained the rules for children and teaching staff during the two levels of air raid alert. During a «yellow» threat level, lessons in schools are suspended, and pupils and staff must proceed to a shelter. They may continue their lessons there.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Culture has also approved recommendations regarding the holding of mass cultural and entertainment events during a «yellow» alert for airborne attacks. According to the recommendations, the declaration of a «yellow» threat level does not automatically mean that an event must be cancelled, postponed or suspended. The organiser may decide to hold or continue the event provided that the necessary safety conditions are in place.
The government has approved new rules for the operation of healthcare facilities depending on the level of air threat. At the yellow threat level, healthcare facilities continue to operate. Staff, patients and visitors must be provided with access to shelters.
