Russia launched a record-breaking overnight drone and missile attack on the western Ukrainian city of Lutsk in the Volyn region, sparking fires and causing widespread damage, local officials said Wednesday.
The assault, which began late Tuesday and continued into the early hours of Wednesday, marked the largest single air attack on Ukraine since the full-scale invasion began, with 741 aerial weapons launched, including 728 Shahed-type drones and decoys.
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Ukraine’s Air Force confirmed the massive scale of the strike, saying the primary target was the Volyn region and the city of Lutsk.
Lutsk Mayor Ihor Polishchuk said the attack triggered fires at a garage cooperative and a local business. Other sites were still being inspected for damage.
“There is a fire and damage to garages on the territory of one of the garage cooperatives and a fire on the territory of one of the enterprises. The rest of the damage is being investigated,” Polishchuk said on Telegram. He added that there were no immediate reports of casualties.
“Our honor, respect and gratitude to the air defense forces,” the mayor said. “If new information is received, I will promptly inform you.”
The unprecedented air assault included:
- 728 Shahed-type drones and drone decoys, launched from Russian territory including Bryansk, Kursk, Oryol, Millerovo, and Primorsko-Akhtarsk;
- 7 Kh-101 and Iskander-K cruise missiles launched from Russia’s Saratov and Kursk regions;
- 6 Kinzhal hypersonic missiles, fired from airspace over Russia’s Lipetsk region.
Ukrainian air defenses, including aviation, surface-to-air missile units, electronic warfare systems, and mobile fire groups, responded throughout the night.
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By 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, 718 aerial weapons had been neutralized, including 296 drones shot down and 7 cruise missiles intercepted. An additional 415 drones were suppressed by electronic warfare or lost on radar.
Debris and direct hits were recorded at four locations across Ukraine, with fragments from downed drones landing in at least 14 places.
The attack came amid a broader wave of strikes across Ukraine, including explosions in Kyiv and other cities. But officials said the main direction of the Russian assault was clearly focused on Lutsk and the broader Volyn region.
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