Russia launched a rare daytime mass drone attack on Ukraine

Today, Russia carried out a rare large-scale drone attack on Ukraine in broad daylight, launching over 400 kamikaze drones across the country. The assault followed a massive overnight strike and marked an unusual escalation in timing, with swarms of Shahed-type drones targeting both eastern and western regions. Ukrainian air defenses were actively engaged for hours, but several drones penetrated and struck civilian areas, causing deaths, injuries, and significant damage to residential buildings and infrastructure across the country.

Lviv
In the western city of Lviv, Russian drones struck the historic city center in the afternoon, hitting a residential building and damaging a UNESCO World Heritage site near a church and monastery. Fires broke out in one of the biggest residential districts and central areas after multiple impacts. At least 22 people were injured (the number of injured is currently growing), including residents of the affected apartment buildings. Local authorities reported that emergency services were working at the scenes, with debris from downed drones also falling in city streets.

Dnipro
In the central-eastern city of Dnipro, a Russian drone directly hit a 14-storey apartment building in the morning, causing fires on the upper floors and damaging walls, balconies, and windows. The strike injured at least 12–13 people, including several children. Additional apartment buildings and kindergartens in the city sustained damage from the attack or falling debris. Mayor Boris Filatov confirmed the impact, noting that rescue operations were underway.

Ivano-Frankivsk
The western city of Ivano-Frankivsk was also targeted during the daytime assault. Russian drones struck residential areas, damaging around 10 apartment buildings and a maternity hospital. According to the regional governor, at least two people were killed and four others injured, including a 6-year-old child. Explosions were reported in the city center, and emergency services responded to multiple sites.

Explosions and air defense activity were also reported in other regions, including Ternopil, Vinnytsia, and areas near Kyiv, as the wave of drones spread across much of the country. Ukrainian officials described the daytime attack as part of Russia’s intensified campaign targeting civilian infrastructure and populated areas.

Zhytomyr
Explosions were reported in Zhytomyr as part of the widespread daytime attack. Russian drones targeted the region, with local authorities confirming damage to civilian infrastructure and residential areas from strikes and falling debris. Specific casualty figures for Zhytomyr are still being clarified, but emergency services are working at multiple sites in the oblast.

Vinnytsia
In Vinnytsia, Russian drones struck the city during the day, causing damage to residential buildings and infrastructure. Local authorities reported several explosions in the region, with falling debris and direct hits affecting civilian areas. Exact casualty figures for Vinnytsia are still being clarified, but the attack contributed to the overall wave of daytime strikes across central and western Ukraine.

Ternopil
In the Western town of Ternopil, the daytime drone attack caused explosions and damage to civilian infrastructure. Russian drones targeted the region, resulting in strikes and falling debris in residential areas. Local authorities confirmed that emergency services responded to multiple sites, though specific casualty numbers have not yet been released.