Russia launches massive drone attack on Ukraine, killing at least 7

By Ahmet Taş | Wise News Press

KYIV, UKRAINE — Russia launched one of its largest aerial assaults since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, firing nearly 1,000 drones at targets across Ukraine within a 24-hour period, resulting in at least seven fatalities.

The intense bombardments on March 23-24 struck various regions, including Ukraine's westernmost areas, causing significant civilian casualties and damaging historical sites. Following a heavy night of missile and drone attacks, Russian forces initiated a rare daytime assault on Tuesday, utilizing over 550 drones to target the central and western parts of the country.

Rising civilian casualties

Regional authorities reported that at least four people were killed and 21 injured during the nighttime strikes. The daytime attacks claimed at least three more lives and left over 30 people injured.

The western city of Ivano-Frankivsk was also hit. The regional governor stated that a strike on the city center killed two people and injured four, including a 6-year-old child. Officials also reported damage to a maternity hospital and approximately 10 residential buildings. Explosions were also heard in the western regions of Khmelnytskyi and Ternopil, as well as Vinnytsia and Zhytomyr in the center of the country. In Zhytomyr, a 12-year-old girl was reportedly hospitalized with injuries. The capital, Kyiv, and the surrounding region were also targeted by waves of drones approaching from the north.

Lviv UNESCO site damaged

The city of Lviv, strategically located near the Polish border, was heavily targeted. Russian drones striking civilian areas left 17 people injured.

Lviv Governor Maksym Kozytskyi announced that the Bernardine Monastery complex, an architectural monument of national significance, was damaged in the attack. The monastery is located in Lviv's historic city center, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

During his evening national address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy strongly condemned the targeting of the church, which dates back to the early 17th century.

"Iranian-made 'Shahed' drones, modernized by Russia, are hitting a church in Lviv. This is a complete perversion, and only someone like Putin could find it appealing," Zelenskyy said.

Searching for weak points

Serhii Flash, an advisor to the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, noted that Russia constantly changes tactics for its massive attacks, trying to find "weak points" to bypass Ukrainian air defenses.

President Zelenskyy emphasized that the scale of the attacks clearly demonstrates Russia has no intention of ending the war. "Considering that Russia is attacking the entire region in cooperation with the Iranian regime, the result is obvious: without strong pressure on Russia and tangible losses, those in Moscow will have no desire to back down from the war or get used to peace," he stated.

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