Russia has carried out its largest aerial assault on Ukraine since the start of the war, launching hundreds of drones and missiles in a coordinated wave of attacks across the country.
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According to Ukraine’s Air Force, a total of 948 drones were deployed within a 24-hour period, alongside dozens of missiles. The strikes hit multiple regions, including western areas that have generally seen fewer attacks during the conflict.
Widespread Strikes Across Cities
In the city of Lviv, a residential building near the historic Bernardine monastery—part of a UNESCO World Heritage site—was damaged. Local officials reported dozens of injuries.
Further west, in the Ivano-Frankivsk region, a maternity hospital was struck, with authorities confirming fatalities and injuries, including a child. Additional damage was reported in Ternopil, though no casualties were recorded there.
In central Ukraine, the city of Vinnytsia also came under attack, leaving at least one person dead and several others injured.
Casualties and Damage
Across the country, at least eight people were reported killed in the combined daytime and overnight strikes, with dozens more injured. Ukrainian officials said that while air defences intercepted many incoming drones and missiles, a significant number still reached their targets.
A spokesperson for the Ukrainian Air Force described the attack as one of the most extensive since the conflict began, noting that drones entered airspace in large समूह formations from the north and struck a wide geographical area.
Kyiv Condemns Escalation
President Volodymyr Zelensky said the scale of the assault demonstrated that Moscow had no intention of ending the war.
“The scale of the latest attacks clearly shows that Russia has no intention of really ending this war,” he said in a video address.
Russia has not publicly commented on the latest strikes.
Conflict Continues Unabated
The war, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, continues with near-daily attacks on Ukrainian cities. While eastern regions remain the most heavily targeted, the latest strikes indicate a broader reach across the country.
At the same time, Russian officials reported casualties in their own territory, with a drone strike in the Kursk region said to have killed one person and injured others.
Efforts to broker a peace agreement have stalled in recent weeks, with international attention also focused on rising tensions in the Middle East.
Ongoing Human Impact
Ukrainian officials and public figures have stressed the human cost of the war, warning against growing global fatigue.
Olena Zelenska said the suffering caused by the conflict must not be overlooked amid competing global crises.
The latest escalation underscores the continued intensity of the war, as large-scale attacks persist with no immediate sign of de-escalation.
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Adapted by ASEAN Now. Source 25 March 2026