In brief
Over a 24-hour period, Russia launched 948 drones at Ukraine, marking a significant escalation in aerial assaults. The attacks resulted in at least three casualties and many injuries, with substantial damage reported in cities such as Lviv and Ivano-Frankivsk. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky highlighted the assaults as a sign of Russia's intent to continue the conflict, as the Ukrainian Air Force claimed to have downed many of the drones despite the extensive damage.
Russia has launched the largest aerial attack on Ukraine since the war began, hitting cities across the country with 948 drones.
Ukraine's Air Force reported 556 drones had been fired since 09:00 local time (07:00 GMT) on Tuesday, in an unusual daytime attack that resulted in at least three deaths and numerous injuries.
In the western city of Lviv, the historic Bernardine monastery, part of a UNESCO World Heritage site, suffered damage, while a maternity hospital in the Ivano-Frankivsk region was also impacted.
These strikes followed an overnight Russian attack that left five dead, with Ukraine reporting 392 drones and 34 missiles launched.
In a video address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that the scale of the attacks clearly shows that Russia has no intention of really ending this war. Ukraine's Air Force has stated it managed to intercept a significant number of the drones, but acknowledged there were multiple direct hits across the nation.
These aggressive tactics are a departure as the west of Ukraine, relatively untouched in the months prior, suffered substantial damage this week. Over four years of ongoing conflict have seen reliance on drones escalate, warranting international attention and concern over the humanitarian implications.
