Russia launches massive drone attack on Ukraine, killing 3 in Lviv
A rare daytime Russian drone attack on Lviv, in western Ukraine, killed at least three people and injured 32 on Tuesday, officials said, following overnight strikes that left five dead across the country. The assault, one of the largest of the war, involved nearly 1,000 drones and dozens of missiles, according to Ukrainian authorities.
More than 550 drones were launched at Ukraine in the middle of the day, a departure from Russia’s typical tactic of nighttime aerial attacks, Ukraine’s air force reported. The daytime barrage followed an overnight attack in which hundreds of drones and missiles were fired, bringing the total number of long-range drones launched since Monday evening to nearly 1,000.
Footage posted online showed a drone impacting a building near St. Andrew’s Church in Lviv, a city approximately 60 kilometers (37 miles) from the Polish border. Warsaw responded by scrambling fighter jets, according to reports.
The attack damaged a residential building adjacent to the 16th-century Bernardine monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage site, Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyi said. Debris from another drone fell in a nearby street. A second residential building was also struck, according to the mayor.
In Ivano-Frankivsk, a national guard soldier and his 15-year-old daughter were killed by a strike, regional Governor Svitlana Onyshchuk stated. The soldier had recently attended the birth of his daughter at a local maternity hospital, which was also damaged in the attack, with windows blown out but no injuries reported among those inside.
Vinnytsia Governor Natalia Zabolotna reported one death and 13 injuries, including a five-year-old child, in her region. Two energy facilities in Ternopil were also targeted.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in his nightly address, stated the scale of the attacks demonstrated Russia’s lack of intention to complete the war. He also pointed to Russia’s support for the Iranian regime, suggesting a connection to ongoing conflicts in the Middle East. “Without additional and strong pressure on Russia, without tangible losses for them there in Moscow, no desire will develop to move away from the war or return to peace,” Zelenskyy said.
Ukraine’s air force reported intercepting 365 drones and 25 missiles during the overnight attacks. Moldova also experienced disruption to its power supplies as a result of the strikes and declared a 60-day energy state of emergency.
Moscow has not commented on the attacks, but continues to maintain that it does not target civilians, claiming that strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure are legitimate targets aimed at diminishing Kyiv’s war-fighting capabilities. Ukraine has responded by targeting Russia’s energy infrastructure, including oil refineries, and depots.
Zelenskyy has repeatedly appealed to allies for increased air defense munitions, warning of a potential deficit due to the United States’ focus on the conflict in the Middle East.