574 drones and 40 missiles: Russia launches one of its biggest strikes against Ukraine
The Russian Defense Ministry said drone factories, military depots and launch bases were targeted.
Fire after a Russian airstrike in Lviv.
Russia executed one of its biggest bombing raids against Ukraine amid a U.S.-led diplomatic offensive to try to end the war started with the 2022 invasion. According to Ukrainian Air Force data, during the early hours of Thursday, Moscow fired 574 drones and 40 ballistic and cruise missiles, mostly against western regions of the country, where much of the military aid coming from Kiev's allies is concentrated.
Authorities confirmed at least one dead and 15 wounded. In the city of Lviv, near the Hungarian border, shells hit residential areas, a kindergarten and administrative buildings. A plant of the U.S. company Flex was also damaged, where six workers were injured.
A U.S. plant was hit
Andy Hunder, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine, confirmed that the Flex electronics factory - with 600 employees on night shift at the time of the attack - suffered direct damage.
Escalation in the midst of a diplomatic offensive
Since those meetings, Russia has launched hundreds of drones and long-range missiles against Ukrainian territory. Zelensky claims that Moscow is acting "as if nothing is changing," and accused Putin of blocking cease-fire proposals and refusing to engage in serious negotiations.
Moscow denies attacks on civilians
The Russian Defense Ministry claimed that the target was drone factories, military depots and launch bases in Ukraine, again denying targeting civilian infrastructure. However, local authorities documented the destruction of 26 residential buildings and the use of cluster munitions in Lviv.
Next steps in the diplomatic arena
Zelensky announced that Ukraine and its allies will discuss a package of security guarantees that could be defined next week. He further signaled his readiness to meet face-to-face with Putin, possibly in a trilateral format that includes Trump. Among the venues considered are Switzerland, Austria and Turkey.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned that any security initiative that excludes Moscow would not be feasible.
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