Lviv, located just 70 kilometers from the Polish border, was struck by a major Russian drone and missile attack on early morning of October 5, 2025, marking the largest attack on the city since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The five-hour strike targeted multiple regions, including Ivano-Frankivsk, Zaporizhzhia, Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Kherson, Odesa, and Kirovohrad, according to a report by the Kyiv Independent. The attack involved more than 50 missiles and approximately 500 drones, including Iranian-designed Shaheds, cruise missiles, and Kinzhal ballistic missiles, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
“More protection is needed, and faster implementation of all defense agreements, especially regarding air defense, is crucial to deprive this aerial terror of any meaning,” Zelenskyy said.
“A unilateral ceasefire in the sky is possible, and it could open the way to real diplomacy,” he added.
Air defenses in Lviv engaged multiple incoming targets across the city, including in the UNESCO World Heritage-listed centre. The strikes caused large explosions, widespread fires in both civilian and industrial areas, and extensive power outages, Mayor Andriy Sadovyi reported.
Ukraine’s air defenses intercepted 478 targets, though eight missiles and 57 drones managed to strike 20 locations, the Ukrainian Air Force reported. In total, at least four people were killed and 16 others injured.
Russia has recently intensified its attacks on Ukraine’s energy grid and gas production facilities as the fourth winter of the war approaches, deliberately targeting critical civilian infrastructure while diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict remain stalled.
