---
title: "On the morning of September 15, deteriorating air quality was recorded in the Kyiv region: fine dust became the main pollutant"
description: "On the morning of September 15, 2026, a temporary deterioration in air quality was recorded in the Kyiv region: the main pollutant was fine dust PM2.5. The gamma radiation level corresponds to the natural background."
date: 2026-09-15T09:38:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/air-quality-kyiv-region-pm25-sept-2026
tags: [air-quality, kyiv-oblast, pm2-5, pollution, ukraine, saveecobot]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# On the morning of September 15, deteriorating air quality was recorded in the Kyiv region: fine dust became the main pollutant

![Woman wiping a window at home amid poor air quality caused by fine dust pollution in Kyiv region](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/15/kvalstvo-vozduha-kyevskaya-oblast-pm25-sept-2026/kvalstvo-vozduha-kyevskaya-oblast-pm25-sept-2026-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- On the morning of September 15, 2026, a temporary deterioration in atmospheric air quality was recorded in the Kyiv region
- The main pollutant was fine dust of the PM2.5 fraction; gamma radiation corresponds to the natural background
- Media outlets show a discrepancy: RBC-Ukraine cites "several cities," Interfax — "two settlements"
- UNN links the deterioration to the aftermath of 38 enemy attacks in the region
- Online air quality monitoring is available through the Ukrainian system SaveEcoBot

On the morning of Tuesday, September 15, 2026, a temporary deterioration in the state of atmospheric air was recorded in several settlements in the Kyiv region. This was announced by the press service of the Kyiv Regional Military (State) Administration in its official Facebook channel, as cited by the RBC-Ukraine publication. According to monitoring data, exceedances of permissible levels were not recorded at all observation points: in the other settlements of the region where regular monitoring is conducted, the concentration of chemical and biological substances in the atmospheric air remained within regulatory limits.

### What exactly caused the pollution

The Kyiv Regional Administration clarified that the main pollutant of the atmospheric air in the morning hours of September 15 was fine dust — particles of the PM2.5 fraction, i.e. sized less than 2.5 microns. It is precisely this indicator that is used to calculate the air quality index using the NowCast formula developed by the US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA). At the same time, the level of gamma radiation in the Kyiv region, according to the regional administration, corresponds to the natural background and does not pose an additional threat to public health. It is separately emphasized that no exceedances of the permissible concentration of chemical and biological substances in the atmospheric air were observed at other monitored points in the region.

### Contradictory data

Meanwhile, in publications by various media outlets referencing the same primary source — the post by the Kyiv Regional Administration — there is a discrepancy in the number of affected settlements. The text published by RBC-Ukraine mentions "several cities" in the Kyiv region where a temporary deterioration was recorded. At the same time, the Interfax agency, citing the same data, states that the deterioration in air quality was recorded specifically in two settlements in the region. The specific names of the cities or towns are not disclosed in the provided editorial materials, which makes it impossible to definitively determine the exact number of locations in question. The Kyiv Regional Administration, judging by its original post, apparently provided a list of specific points, but this detail was lost or generalized in media retellings. Until an official clarification from the regional administration is issued, both versions — "several cities" and "two settlements" — remain in the public eye.

### Context: connection to military actions and weather

An important addition to the morning report on air quality was a publication by UNN, which linked the deterioration of the environmental situation in the Kyiv region to the aftermath of 38 enemy attacks recorded in the region. Although the Regional Administration's message itself does not declare a direct causal link between the military incidents and the rise in PM2.5 concentration, the logical chain is obvious: explosions, fires, and infrastructure destruction generate a significant amount of fine dust, which, under conditions of weak wind activity and temperature inversion — typical for September morning hours — does not disperse and accumulates in the ground-level layer. Previously, XAB.info reported that a sharp cooling is coming to Ukraine in September 2026, and also explained how exactly the synoptic situation — calm, inversion, low cloud cover — affects air quality and hinders natural atmospheric ventilation.

### How to monitor air quality on your own

For residents of the Kyiv region and other regions of Ukraine interested in timely monitoring of the environmental situation, the Ukrainian ecological system SaveEcoBot is available. The platform aggregates data on the state of air in settlements across the country in real time and calculates the air quality index using the NowCast methodology (US EPA) for the main pollutant — fine dust of the 2.5-micron fraction. Users can subscribe to notifications and receive alerts about exceedances of permissible levels in their location. In conditions where the morning hours of September 2026 in the Kyiv region showed local but real exceedances of PM2.5, regular use of such services becomes not just useful, but a practically necessary element of caring for one's own health and the health of loved ones.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [Breathing may be harder: where air pollution was recorded in the Kyiv region](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/dihati-mozhe-buti-vazhche-de-u-kiyivskiy-1789464272.html) - Подтверждает факт ухудшения, указывает на мелкодисперсную пыль и природный фон гамма-излучения. Конкретные названия городов в пересказе отсутствуют; формулировка «несколько городов» не совпадает с данными Интерфакса.
- [Air quality deteriorated in the Kyiv region: where the pollution is](https://korrespondent.net/ukraine/4911895-v-kyevskoi-oblasty-ukhudshylos-kachestvo-vozdukha-hde-zahriaznenyia) - Подтверждает факт ухудшения качества воздуха в Киевской области 15 сентября 2026 года.
- [Air quality deteriorated in two settlements of the Kyiv region](https://ru.interfax.com.ua/news/general/1197874.html) - Указывает на два конкретных населённых пункта, что расходится с формулировкой «несколько городов» в РБК-Украина. Конкретные названия в заголовке не раскрыты.
- [Deteriorating air quality recorded in the Kyiv region after 38 enemy attacks](https://unn.ua/ru/news/v-kievskoi-oblasti-fiksiruyut-ukhudshenie-kachestva-vozdukha-posle-38-vrazheskikh-atak) - Дополняет картину контекстом: связывает ухудшение с последствиями 38 вражеских атак. Число атак не подтверждено в других предоставленных источниках, но не противоречит им.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: Where exactly in the Kyiv region did air quality deteriorate on September 15?
**A:** The specific names of the settlements are not disclosed in the provided editorial materials. RBC-Ukraine refers to "several cities," Interfax — to two settlements. We are awaiting clarification from the Kyiv Regional Administration.

### Q: What caused the air pollution?
**A:** According to the Kyiv Regional Administration, the main pollutant was fine dust (PM2.5). The UNN publication additionally links the deterioration to the aftermath of 38 enemy attacks in the region.

### Q: Is this a health hazard?
**A:** The deterioration is temporary and was recorded only in the morning hours. The gamma radiation level corresponds to the natural background. No exceedances of chemical and biological substances were observed at other monitored points in the region.

### Q: How can I monitor air quality in my city on my own?
**A:** The Ukrainian ecological system SaveEcoBot monitors the state of air in Ukrainian settlements in real time and calculates the quality index using the NowCast formula (US EPA) for PM2.5 particles.