A channel whose words “We have 1-2 minutes” will be remembered for a lifetime: how “Dnipro Alerts” saves Dnipro residents from danger

Thanks to this Telegram channel, Dnipro knows well what the “eye of Sauron” is. And we are not talking about a cult symbol from “The Lord of the Rings”: Tolkien has absolutely nothing to do with it. The people of Dnipro are also well-versed in “tarahtelka”, they understand what “scrap metal” is and are happy when “it’s over”. For them, the commands “piggy into the corridor” or “minimum two walls” are understandable. They are relieved by the phrase “no threats” or “increased in applications is not elevated at all.”

This Telegram channel is “Dnipro Alerts”, which subscribers affectionately call “hedgehogs”. It is these funny animals in the feed of the channel during alarm-rejections, skilfully sorting with their legs, rushing to the shelter / from the shelter. It is they who make you smile and not despair when things are scary and scary.

“Dnipro, little by little we are turning yellow”

Every time when it comes to rejecting Telegram as a platform known for its anonymity, uncontrollability and fakeness, I cite as a counterargument the need of Ukrainians for operational and reliable information capable of saving lives. In regions where the alarm sounds up to 10-12 times a day, the value of such information is beyond doubt. Following the markers of the situation: “In shelter”, “Red”, “20-30 seconds before the strike”, or “Not for us”, “Usual front activity”, “Yellow region”, Dnipro residents adjust their daily activities, staying in place or by instantly moving behind at least two walls. Agree, understanding the level of danger is extremely important when anxiety roars for hours, and no one has canceled work, study and other mandatory types of work. It is also convenient to assess the level of danger on a color scale: from “green” to “red” and even “reddish”. For example, the “yellow” signal in Dnipro allows residents to continue their work while remaining vigilant.

On the infographic, you can see how many times during the war anxiety interrupted the usual rhythm of life of the townspeople, and how long it kept them in a state of uncertainty and fear. During the 1016 days of the war, sirens sounded for a total of 160 days.

Infographic: AI “FACT” Infographic: IA “FACT”

“We do not sell advertising”

Some statistics.

“Dnipro Alerts” ranks 45th in the rating of Telegram channels according to Telemetrio. Very good, if you consider what, for data TGStat, 89,000 channels currently direct their messages to the Ukrainian audience. Has more than 621 thousand subscribers. Weekly growth is more than 3500 subscribers. The rate of user engagement is also respectable – about 50%. It reflects how actively subscribers interact with the content published in the channel. In mediametry, this level is considered excellent. The channel is purely informative. The administration of the “Dnipro Alerts” channel does not post advertisements on a commercial basis.

“I spent the whole day explaining to my grandmother what the Eye of Sauron is”

Yesterday, “Dnipro” Alerts celebrated the second anniversary of its founding. And on this occasion, I briefly opened comments for subscribers. Greetings and words of thanks poured in at the rate of 25-30 per minute.

Subscribers thanked for promptness, accuracy, specificity of information – this is, in fact, what Ukrainians expect from the media today. Special thanks were expressed to the hedgehogs for their humanity, sense of humor and moral support in the most difficult situations.

Each subscriber has his own history of acquaintance and interaction with the channel:

“We were playing with the children together with a friend. An alarm started, a friend says, they say, Alerts writes: 30 seconds to kick. I just had time to raise my head to the sky, as the anti-aircraft gun shoots down some abomination! I tell her: “Wow, give me a link to this channel too.” So I signed up. Thank you!”

“Happy birthday! I joined last month, because I used to use channels where information was available all over the country, and because of this, messages often came even in the middle of the night, waking me up. Or some intimidating messages were published on the channels, just to raise excitement. I wanted something more specific and informative specifically about the worries in our area so that I don’t have to worry every time. And now, sitting in the corridor as a guest, I learned that “hedgehogs” are much more accurate, without excess water. And now I am with you.”

“You were recommended to me by my client who weaves camouflage nets in “Spiders”. She said it was a proven channel used by guys she knew (they were guys then, but pretty girls, don’t be offended!). It was the only channel where you could understand why the siren was sounding”.

“In two years you have saved many lives, although you have lost your own. Thank you very much for that”.

“Thank you very much for your work. I myself once served in air defense, so, as they say, I understand the topic. I realize how difficult it is to carry out the tasks you undertake, and I am sincerely proud of your skill. Timely warning of danger helps a lot. I wish you luck!”

“I found out about you on January 15, 2023, the day after the arrival of the X-22, which destroyed two entrances on Ave. Victories in the Dnipro, and search operations were still underway. A woman from a neighboring house that was destroyed told about you. “I knew there would be an explosion, because “Hedgehogs” wrote…” Since then, you have become our main source of information. Many people write in monitoring publications, but my daughter and I are waiting for news only from you.”

“I congratulate you on the anniversary of such an important work for us! Thank you very much for the timely warnings, for the humor and for the sincere wishes for a good day. I wish all of us to see the most awaited message: “Green for Ukraine” as soon as possible.

“Thank you for your warm and humane comments. Sometimes I even take screenshots of your “masterpieces” because they get deleted. Thank you very much for your work! After the victory, I suggest that everyone gather at the Festival Pier — I really want to see your whole team!”

“I spent the whole day explaining to my grandmother what the Eye of Sauron is.”

“If one day, many years after the war, they ask me how I held on, I will answer: “I was held by hedgehogs.”

“The channel whose words “We have 1-2 minutes” will be remembered for a lifetime.”

As evidenced by over one and a half thousand left comments, many people chose “hedgehogs” as a source of information after the terrible tragedy at Peremoza, 118. My experience of joining the channel is also related to this terrible day. The daughter dropped the link to Alerts and we, following the instructions, moved to the corridor a minute before the impact. Then they loudly counted down ten seconds, not believing that it was a real threat. When the seconds came to an end, there was an explosion of terrible power. And within 20 minutes, photos started to appear on social networks, which took away the language. Inside the nine-story building was a gaping void. The rocket completely destroyed two entrances.

Why do you need a countdown?

The channel’s signature style is the countdown to the beat. It looks creepy, but subscribers in their comments are asking to keep this warning tool. Like, it’s emotionally easier that way: to know when an explosion will happen and to be ready for it.

The “hedgehogs” themselves explain this approach with their own experience.

“Regarding the countdown in seconds. We had a practice when part of the team was at one of the control points of the tactical level (Izyum direction, March 2022). Thanks to intelligence data, it was known about the departure of aircraft. The general military commander, who was the senior there, took his hand out of his pocket, looked at the clock and counted down: 3 minutes to the strike, 2 and a half minutes, and so on. It was very motivating: it gave me peace and made it possible to plan my time. We decided to share this experience with you. Forgive!”

The “Dnipro Alerts” channel is not an official channel, but everyone knows that it is run by guys and girls associated with the PPO. More specifics are not needed in the current security conditions. So let them remain just “hedgehogs” for everyone until the end of the war.