From 12 October, a new procedure is being introduced in Lviv region for alerting the public to the threat of the use of airborne weapons. The “Air raid alert” signal will now have two danger levels — yellow and red, which will be specified separately in the text of the warning. This was reported by the Department for Civil Protection of the Lviv Regional State Administration.
The changes are set out in the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine of 4 September 2026 No. 1092 “Certain issues of optimising the protection of the population and response to threats of airborne weapons” as amended by Resolution of the CMU of 15 September 2026 No. 1128. Information on the nature and level of the threat is provided by the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and then broadcast through alert systems at all levels.
The updated “Air raid alert” signal will consist of the sound signal “Attention everyone” and a brief voice announcement of the established threat level — “yellow level” or “red level”.
The yellow level will indicate a drone threat — the possible use by the enemy of strike unmanned aerial vehicles. In such cases, the signal will be given with differentiation by districts of the region. Each announcement will last 30 seconds and will be broadcast three times.
The red level will be used in the event of a missile or missile-and-drone threat, as well as during a massive drone attack. When the red level is announced, the “Air raid alert” signal will sound simultaneously throughout the entire territory of Lviv region. The announcement will last 1 minute and will be repeated twice.
The procedure for issuing the all-clear signal has also been changed. From now on, the “Air raid all-clear” will be transmitted only as a voice announcement, without the preceding “Attention everyone” sound signal. This announcement will last 20 seconds and will be repeated twice.
The Civil Protection Department stresses that regardless of the declared threat level, citizens must respond responsibly to the “Air raid alert” signal and, where possible, remain in shelter until the official all-clear.
“You should not treat the yellow level as a signal that can be ignored. It is also an air threat, and behind it stand real enemy weapons of destruction. The Russian occupiers show no regard for the lives of civilians and give us no grounds to believe that this time the danger will somehow pass you by. Therefore our recommendation remains unchanged: if you hear the ‘Air raid alert’ signal, take care of yourself and your loved ones and stay in shelter regardless of the threat level. Human life and health are the highest value,” said Volodymyr Kravtsov, Acting Director of the Civil Protection Department of the Lviv Regional State Administration.
Residents of the region are advised to identify their nearest shelter in advance, plan their route to it and not delay moving to a safe place after receiving a signal. The new alert format provides more information about the nature of the danger, but does not cancel the main rule of civil protection: any “Air raid alert” signal must be taken seriously and followed by appropriate safety measures.