Russia launched a large-scale air attack on Ukraine’s western region of Lviv and the northwestern region of Volyn, killing at least three people and wounding scores of others, officials said.
Three people were killed and several hospitalized in Lutsk after a business enterprise was hit, Yuriy Pohulyaiko, governor of the Volyn region of which Lutsk is the administrative center, said on the Telegram messaging app.
The Volyn region borders NATO-member Poland to its west.
There were no casualties in Russia’s air attack on the western region of Lviv, according to preliminary information, but more than 100 residential houses were damaged, 500 windows broken and a kindergarten playground was destroyed.
“Many missiles were shot down, but there were also hits in Lviv,” city mayor Andriy Sadovyi said on the Telegram messaging app, adding that orders were given to evacuate at least one burning apartment building.
Sadovyi posted a video standing at a crater in front of a multi-storey building with all windows blasted out and scattered debris from what appearted to be a playground.
Ukraine’s Air Force said that its forces had destroyed 16 of at least 28 Russia-launched air and sea-based missiles. It was not immediately clear how many missiles were launched at Lviv and Volyn.
Earlier, the Lviv region’s governor, Maxim Kozitsky, said that “groups of Russian missiles” were headed towards the region.
Until July, the Lviv region which is far from the front lines and which borders Poland to its west, had been spared most Russia’s air attacks. But in July seven people were killed when a missile slammed into a residential building.
Ukrainian media reported that according to preliminary information, Tuesday’s attack was the largest air assault on the Lviv region since the start of Russia’s invasion in Ukraine in February 2022.
Reuters could not immediately confirm the reports and the attacks on the region.
Air raid alerts were issued for entire Ukraine for about two hours, staring at around 2 a.m. (2300 GMT).
At least one person was also wounded as a result of Russia’s attack on Ukraine’s southwestern region of Dnipropetrovsk, where an enterprise was hit and a fire broke out, Serhiy Lisak, the governor of the region said on the Telegram.
