Almost 1,000 drones within 24 hours: Russia launched one of its largest attacks on Ukraine

Almost 1,000 Drones Within 24 Hours: Russia Launched One of Its Largest Attacks on Ukraine

In a significant escalation, Russia deployed nearly 1,000 drones against Ukraine in a 24-hour span between March 23 and 24, marking one of Moscow’s most intense aerial campaigns since the full-scale invasion began. The assault included a heavy missile barrage and drone strikes overnight, followed by a daylight wave of over 550 attack drones directed at central and western regions of the country.

Regional officials confirmed that at least three civilians lost their lives and more than 30 were injured during the daylight strike. Lviv, a western Ukrainian city near the Polish border, suffered damage when drones targeted civilian areas, leaving 17 people wounded. The Bernardine Monastery complex, a nationally recognized architectural site in Lviv’s historic centre—a UNESCO World Heritage area—was also struck.

Meanwhile, attacks in Ivano-Frankivsk, another regional capital, resulted in two fatalities and four injuries, including a young child. Additional reports highlighted destruction at maternity hospitals and damage to approximately 10 residential buildings. Explosions were also recorded in Khmelnytskyi, Ternopil, Vinnytsia, and Zhytomyr, with a 12-year-old girl sustaining injuries in central Zhytomyr and being hospitalized.

“Iranian ‘Shahed’ drones, modernised by Russia, are striking a church in Lviv – this is an absolute perversion, and only someone like Putin could find this appealing,” stated President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in his evening address.

Zelenskyy emphasized that the scale of the attack underscores Russia’s determination to prolong the conflict. “The war is far from over,” he added, highlighting Moscow’s strategy to maintain pressure without showing signs of retreat. Ukraine’s Defence Ministry advisor, Serhii Flash, noted that Russia is continuously refining its tactics, aiming to identify weaknesses in Ukraine’s air defences and increase the impact of its strikes.