Kyiv residents told to stay indoors as air pollution blankets the Ukrainian capital

Authorities in Ukraine have advised residents in the capital Kyiv to stay indoors as air pollution, partly caused by fires in the region, blankets the city.

Ukraine's Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources said on Friday that the pollution resulted from the burning of peatlands and other wildfires in the region combined with autumn temperature fluctuations.

The capital woke up to thick smog and the rancid smell of blazing fires. Some people were spotted wearing masks.

The Ukrainian capital topped a list of the most polluted major cities early on Friday in a real-time database by IQAir, a Swiss company that monitors air quality levels.

Its air quality appears to have improved somewhat as the city came down in the ranking later in the day.

Kyiv's Department of Environmental Protection and Climate Change said that "the likely cause of this is fires in the Kyiv region".

Fires have been reported in the Vyshhorod district, around 20 kilometres north of the capital.

Officials warned about an increased concentration of suspended particles, such as dust, soot, and smoke, in the air. In some areas of the city, air pollution levels have reached the maximum of the 100-point scale.

Harmful substance spike

While human-driven climate change does not directly cause fires, it can increase the risk of wildfires, as warming temperatures and increasingly dry air, trees, and soil can make it easier for fires to spread.

Forest fires worldwide have worsened in recent years, with almost twice as much tree cover burning in 2023 as two decades ago, according to the World Resources Institute.

Wildfire smoke can cause air quality to deteriorate even many miles away from the fires. The main concern from wildfire smoke is fine particle pollution, known as PM2.5. Fine particle pollution can cause short-term problems like coughing and long-term impacts on the lungs and heart.

Pollution is a major health concern, with one major study estimating that it kills around nine million people globally every year.

Residents in Kyiv were advised to close their windows, limit time spent outdoors, drink plenty of water, and use an air purifier.

"Particular attention should be paid to these recommendations by people with respiratory and cardiovascular diseases," said the ecology ministry.

Autumn temperature variations trap harmful substances in the air, worsening pollution and reducing air quality, the ministry added in a statement.

The news comes as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is in Kyiv to lend further EU support to Ukraine against Russia's invasion.

She announced that the bloc would raise a €35 billion loan for Ukraine using Russia's frozen assets.

The air quality in the capital doesn't appear to have impacted her trip.