12 July 2025, 10:15 | Updated: 12 July 2025, 10:29
A firefighter stands next to a burnt-out car following mass Russian drone and missile strikes in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv.
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Getty
Poland scrambled its jets on Saturday morning as Russian strikes hit near its border with Ukraine.
Russia continued its aerial attack on Ukraine on Friday night, launching a series of drone strikes on areas far from the frontline.
Targets were hit in Chernivtsi and Lviv in the west of Ukraine, close to the Polish border. There were also further strikes across the rest of the country, including Kyiv, Kharkiv, Sumy, and Kherson.
President Zelenskyy confirmed on Saturday morning that over 600 drones and missiles were fired in the strikes.
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Smoke billows above the city’s buildings following mass Russian drone and missile strikes in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv.
Picture:
Getty
Posting on X, Zelenskyy said: “Last night, Russia’s strikes extended from the Kharkiv and Sumy regions to the Lviv region and Bukovyna. 26 cruise missiles and 597 attack drones were launched, more than half of them were ‘shaheds,’”
A “shahed” drone, or a “suicide” drone, has been a major component of the Russian airforce since their 2022 advance on Ukraine. The munition is designed to attack targets from a long distance.
Aftermath of massive Russian drone and missile attack on Lviv.
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Getty
“More than 20 missiles and the vast majority of drones were destroyed. I thank our air defense forces for this result,” Zelenskyy said.
“Sadly, there were hits on civilian infrastructure, including residential buildings. As of now, 2 people have been reported killed in Chernivtsi.”
“My condolences to their families and loved ones. Around 20 more people injured in the attack are receiving all the necessary assistance.”
In Chernivtsi, the head of the regional military has confirmed two civilian deaths as a result of the strikes – they also confirmed fourteen people were injured, four of whom are in a critical condition.
In Lviv, officials said four people were injured in the strikes.
Poland has since confirmed they have scrambled their jets in an effort to protect their airspace.
Their air force posted on X: “Duty fighter pairs have been scrambled, and ground-based air defence and radar reconnaissance systems have reached the highest state of readiness.”
Russia has ramped up its slew of attacks on Ukraine this year, thanks in part to increased domestic production of weaponry.
Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry has dubbed the onslaught of new attacks as Putin’s “factory of terror”.
“The scale of Russia’s daily terror against civilians demonstrates the urgency of depriving Moscow of its oil revenues, which it turns into war crimes,” Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrii Sybiha said on X.
“Russia’s war machine produces hundreds of means of terror per day. Its scale poses a threat not only to Ukraine, but to the entire transatlantic community.”
“It is in our partners’ best interests to hit this factory of terror as soon as possible with new, strong sanctions.”