1,000 drones in 24 hrs: Russia launches one of the biggest daytime attacks on Ukraine

Russia on Tuesday (Mar 24) launched one of its biggest-ever daytime attacks since the war began in Ukraine in 2022. Just within 24 hours, Moscow fired nearly 1,000 drones towards Ukrainian cities as President Volodymyr Zelensky called Russia’s actions “absolute depravity”.

During the day on Tuesday, Russia unleashed 550 drones, followed by 392 overnight, according to the Ukrainian air force. At least eight people were killed in the massive attack, and a UNESCO World Heritage site was struck in Lviv.

“This is absolute depravity, and only someone like [Russian President Vladimir] Putin could find this appealing,” Zelensky said of the attack on Lviv. “The scale of this attack makes it abundantly clear that Russia has no intention of actually ending this war,” he added, vowing Ukraine “will certainly respond to any attacks”.

Russian drones and missiles rained down on Ukrainian residential areas, transport, and energy infrastructure. A Key power line connecting neighbouring Moldova to Europe was also cut in the attacks, forcing the nation to declare a state of emergency. Another power line to the southern Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant was also cut.

At least 13 people were hospitalised in Lviv. Flames were seen rising from a building close to the 17th-century St. Andrew's Church and Bernardine Monastery in the city centre, which was struck during evening rush hour. Central Poltava region, the eastern city of Kharkiv, and Zaporizhzhia and Kherson in the south were also targeted in the attack.

Meanwhile, the Russian military said that it shot down 389 Ukrainian drones overnight in one of the largest ever attacks. Following the attacks, a fire erupted at a major port in the northwestern part of the country, the authorities said.