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

Russia’s Massive Drone Assault on Ukraine in 24-Hour Window

Within a single day, Russia deployed nearly 1,000 drones against Ukraine, marking one of the most significant aerial campaigns of the conflict since the full-scale invasion began. The strike, spanning March 23 to 24, included a heavy barrage of missiles and drones overnight, followed by a daylight assault involving over 550 attack drones targeting central and western areas.

Regional authorities reported at least three fatalities and more than 30 injuries during the day’s phase of the attack. Lviv, a city in western Ukraine near the Polish border, was among the hardest-hit, with 17 people wounded as drones struck civilian zones. The Bernardine Monastery complex, a national architectural treasure in Lviv’s historic center—a UNESCO World Heritage site—suffered damage, according to the city’s regional governor, Maksym Kozytskyi.

Leaders React to the Attack

“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,” said President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in his evening address.

Meanwhile, the assault extended to other western and central regions, including Ivano-Frankivsk, where two lives were lost and four injured, including a young child. Damage was also reported to maternity hospitals and approximately 10 residential buildings. Explosions were documented in Khmelnytskyi, Ternopil, Vinnytsia, and Zhytomyr, with a 12-year-old girl hospitalized after being injured in a strike on central Zhytomyr.

Ukraine’s Defence Ministry advisor, Serhii Flash, noted that Russia is adapting its strategies, “trying to find vulnerabilities” in Ukraine’s air defenses. Zelenskyy emphasized that the scale of the attack underscores Russia’s commitment to prolonging the conflict, stating, “without additional and strong pressure on Russia, without tangible Russian losses, those in Moscow will have no desire to step back from the war or to get used to peace again.”