Russia Launches Nearly 1,000 Drones in One of Largest Aerial Attacks on Ukraine, Killing at Least Seven
Moscow fires waves of long-range drones and missiles across 11 regions as spring offensive appears to intensify; historic Lviv monastery damaged
KYIV — March 25, 2026 — Russia launched nearly 1,000 drones in one of the largest aerial barrages of the war on Tuesday, March 24, killing at least seven people and wounding dozens across 11 Ukrainian regions, as Moscow appeared to accelerate a spring offensive intended to break Ukrainian resistance along the front .
Ukrainian officials said Moscow fired nearly 400 long-range drones and 23 cruise missiles overnight, followed by another 556 drones in an unusual daytime assault, striking cities across western Ukraine and damaging critical energy infrastructure . Taken together, the barrage marks one of the largest aerial bombardments since Russia’s full-scale invasion began more than four years ago.
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“The occupiers are attempting to bring up new units and are preparing to continue attacks,” Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine’s armed forces, said on Monday, March 23, on the Telegram messaging app, noting that Russian troops had launched 619 attacks in four days .
Historic Lviv Monastery Damaged in Daytime Strikes
One Russian drone struck the Bernardine monastery, a 16th-century church in Lviv’s UNESCO-listed medieval center, causing significant damage to the historic structure, local authorities said . Dramatic footage circulating online showed a large kamikaze drone hitting a busy street in the western city.
The assault also targeted energy facilities across multiple regions. Ukraine’s largest private energy company, DTEK, confirmed that several power plants were damaged in the strikes, which came as the country braces for potential power shortages .
President Volodymyr Zelensky said the barrage caused damage in 11 regions and renewed calls for allies to urgently supply Kyiv with more air defense munitions . He has repeatedly warned that Ukraine, which relies on the United States for systems capable of intercepting ballistic missiles, faces looming shortages as Washington’s attention remains focused on the US-Israeli conflict with Iran.
Air Defense Claims and Casualty Toll
Russia launched 23 cruise missiles and seven ballistic missiles alongside the drone waves, hitting at least 10 locations across the country, according to Ukraine’s air force . Ukrainian air defense systems intercepted a significant number of the incoming projectiles, though falling debris and missiles that evaded defenses caused casualties and infrastructure damage.
At least four people were killed and 27 wounded in the overnight attacks, with additional casualties reported in the daytime drone waves, bringing the total death toll to at least seven .
Neighboring Moldova also reported that a key power line linking it to Europe had been damaged in the overnight Russian strikes, urging citizens to reduce electricity use during peak hours .
Ground Offensive Intensifies Along 750-Mile Front
On the roughly 750-mile front line snaking along eastern and southern Ukraine, Russian troops intensified simultaneous assaults in what analysts said marks the beginning of Moscow’s anticipated spring-summer offensive .
The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, said Syrskyi’s report backed up its assessment that Russia’s spring offensive is now underway. Russia escalated its strikes from March 17 and has moved heavy equipment and more troops to the front line, the ISW said late Monday, March 23 .
A Ukrainian soldier fighting near the city of Lyman in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region said Russian forces have intensified assaults in recent days but failed to achieve a breakthrough, despite increasing bombardments and repeated ground attacks.
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“The situation is tense, but not critical,” the soldier, who gave only his call sign King in keeping with Ukrainian military rules, told the Associated Press .
Michael Kofman, an analyst at the Carnegie Endowment in Washington, said: “Usually there is a Russian wave of mechanised assaults around April, and they once again prove costly and ineffective.” He added that Ukrainian defenses had been “optimised for defeating mechanised assaults” .
Peace Efforts Stalled as Conflict Escalates
The latest barrage came as Ukrainian and US delegations held two days of talks in Florida over the weekend intended to find a path to ending Russia’s full-scale invasion, but no breakthrough was reported . A key sticking point remains the Donbas, which Moscow wants Kyiv to cede in full.
On Tuesday, March 24, Zelensky wrote on X: “We had a detailed discussion on the outcomes of the meetings in the United States. It is telling that while our negotiators were reporting, Russia launched a new wave of ‘shahed’ drones against Ukraine. The geopolitical situation has become more complicated due to the war against Iran, and unfortunately, this is emboldening Russia” .
The Kremlin, which has benefited from an economic windfall driven by a surge in global energy prices amid the Middle East conflict, said last week that talks between Washington, Moscow and Kyiv on ending the war were on a “situational pause” because of the conflict in Iran .
Drone Warfare Escalates on Both Sides
Ukraine has developed advanced drone technology to make up for its shortage of infantry, leveraging domestically produced long-range drones to hit areas of Russia that support Moscow’s war effort . Russian air defenses intercepted 55 Ukrainian drones overnight over Russian regions, the annexed Crimea and the Black Sea, the Russian Defense Ministry reported Tuesday, March 24 .
Each year, as weather improves, Russia has moved its grinding war of attrition up a gear. However, it has been unable to capture cities and has made only incremental gains across rural areas. Russia occupies about 20 percent of Ukraine, including the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia seized in 2014 .
As of Wednesday, March 25, Ukrainian officials reported that air raid alerts continued in multiple regions, with emergency crews working to restore power and clear debris from damaged infrastructure across the country
SOURCES / INPUTS
Ukrinform: Russian forces attack village in Donetsk with drones, leaving one dead, four injured
APA: Number of injured in Lviv due to the Russian attack has risen to seven
CNN: Russia fires nearly 1,000 drones against Ukraine in one of the war’s largest attacks
The Kyiv Independent: Russian attacks kill 7, injure 17 in Ukraine over past day
UNN: Number of injured in Lviv due to the Russian attack has risen to seven, with significant destruction recorded
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