A wave of Russian drone strikes swept across Ukraine overnight, killing an elderly woman in Odesa and knocking out power to 150,000 people in Chernihiv.
The head of the Odesa Regional Military Administration (OVA), Oleh Kiper, reported that a residential building was damaged in the southern region as a result of a Russian drone strike.
On Tuesday evening, March 24, a Russian drone hit a residential building in the Izmail district, causing a large fire.
“Unfortunately, it has been confirmed that one person died as a result of the March 24 attack in the southern Odesa region. An 87-year-old woman was killed,” Kiper wrote on Wednesday morning.
“Another woman, aged 59, was injured. Doctors assess her condition as stable. The victim is receiving all necessary medical care,” he added.
Six neighboring private houses were also damaged, underscoring the scale of destruction and the threat to civilians.
Russian forces also struck an energy facility in the Chernihiv region overnight, according to Chernihivoblenergo.
“As a result of the enemy attack, an energy facility in the Chernihiv district was damaged. About 150,000 subscribers in the city of Chernihiv and the surrounding district were left without electricity,” the company said.
The strike caused an immediate power shortage in the network.
“Energy workers will begin emergency restoration work as soon as the security situation allows,” the statement added.
Overnight, Russia also attacked the Myrhorod community in the Poltava region, sparking fires at several sites, including a residential building and two outbuildings.
Earlier reports indicated damage to an educational institution, two stores with warehouses, an apartment building, private homes, and a freight railcar carrying grain. No casualties were reported.
According to the Air Force, from 7:00 p.m. on March 24, Russia launched 147 drones, including Shahed, Gerbera, and Italmas types, with more than 80 identified as Shaheds.
Ukraine’s air defenses - including aviation, anti-aircraft missile forces, electronic warfare units, unmanned systems, and mobile fire groups - repelled the attack.
As of 08:30 a.m., 121 drones had been shot down or suppressed across the north, south, and east of the country.
A total of 24 drones struck targets across 18 locations, while debris from downed drones fell in three additional areas.
The latest strikes are part of an intensified wave of attacks that began on March 23. According to the Air Force, Russia has launched nearly 1,000 drones at Ukraine since Monday evening.
During Tuesday’s attacks, Russian forces struck cities in western Ukraine. In Lviv, residential buildings were hit, while in Ivano-Frankivsk, strikes damaged the city center, including two maternity hospitals, causing casualties.
In Vinnytsia, one person was killed and 13 others were injured. Preliminary reports indicate that nine private homes and two apartment buildings were damaged.
Ukrainian air defenses have shot down 541 Russian drones since 9 a.m. on March 24.
Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council, said Russia is attempting to sustain continuous large-scale drone attacks.
“Such actions by the Russians indicate that they aim to continue the war against the rear and reach a level where they can overload Europe’s air defense systems in the event of attacks on NATO facilities,” he said.
Meanwhile, Moldova declared a state of emergency in the energy sector after Russian strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure disrupted the Isaccea-Vulcănești power transmission line.
According to NewsMaker, the decision was approved late on March 24 during an extraordinary parliamentary session, with 72 deputies voting in favor and 18 abstaining.
Prime Minister Alexandru Munteanu called the move a “necessary, legal and preventive measure.”