Russian drones attack downtown Lviv in broad daylight
Russian forces launched a broad daylight drone attack Tuesday on the center of Lviv, a historic city in western Ukraine that had been spared much of the fighting that has devastated other parts of the country.
More than a dozen people have been injured and the number of victims of this surprise attack is expected to increase, authorities have warned.
“There are already 13 injured in Lviv hospitals,” Mayor Andriy Sadovyi said online. “The number of victims is increasing.”
The regional governor advised residents to take shelter.
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“There was a strike in the center of Lviv. According to preliminary information, a UNESCO heritage site was damaged,” Maksym Kozytskyi posted online. “The threat remains high. Stay in shelters!!!”
Kozytskyi seemed to be referring to the historic 17th-century St. Andrew’s Church.
“Russia is attacking a crowded city center in broad daylight,” Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said.
Russian Defense Ministry officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the news.
With a population of over 700,000, Lviv is the largest city in western Ukraine and is just over 65 km from the Polish border.
Rescue efforts were underway in 11 other regions of Ukraine after Russia bombarded the country with more than 390 drone strikes and 34 missile attacks on other cities and key infrastructure, Ukrainian officials said.
Among other things, apartment buildings were hit, civilian infrastructure was damaged and even a train was targeted, they said.
Dozens of people were injured, including children, they said. Several deaths have also been reported.
