Ukrainian air defences intercepted over 20 missiles and the vast majority of the drones, according to Zelensky, but the barrage still caused widespread destruction and casualties across several western regions.
The most heavily affected areas included Lviv, Lutsk and Chernivtsi – cities located near Ukraine’s borders with Poland and Romania.
In Chernivtsi, two people were killed and at least 14 others injured when drones and a missile struck residential and administrative areas, local governor Ruslan Zaparaniuk said.
In Lviv, near the Polish border, Mayor Andriy Sadovyi said the attack damaged 46 residential buildings, a university, court buildings and around 20 small and medium-sized business premises.
In Lutsk, authorities reported explosions and damage across several parts of the city.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha called the strike "another escalation of Russia’s terror,” adding in a post on X that "Russia’s war machine produces hundreds of means of terror per day."
President Zelensky reiterated his appeal for a stronger response from Western allies, including tighter sanctions on Moscow and expedited military support.
(ał)
Source: Reuters, IAR