Kyiv's retaliatory drone strikes start to bite

In Russia's Tver, a medieval city two hours' drive from Moscow, locals have got used to not being able to use their phones for hours on end.

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UNDER SIEGE. Local residents at the entrance of a damaged residential building following one of Russia's nightly drone strikes, which hit Dnipro, in central Ukraine, yesterday . Picture: AFP

(AFP)

Across Russia's western regions, authorities switch off the internet when Ukraine launches retaliatory drone attacks in a bid to disrupt their foe's navigation systems.

The swarms have become increasingly frequent as the war looks set to drag into its fifth year, with Kyiv pledging to continue trying to strike Russian energy targets in response to Moscow's nightly missile and drone barrages on Ukrainian cities and infrastructure.

Months after the temporary blackouts started, tentatively at first for fear of triggering a backlash, they are now a of everyday life.