Since the war began in western Ukraine, Lviv—the cradle of Ukrainian nationalism—has served as a logistical hub to supply the rest of the country and shelter countless displaced people. For hundreds of thousands who temporarily settled near the border or passed through on the way to the Polish frontier, just 70 kilometers away, its streets became a lifeline. Russian strikes left the city scarred but not shattered, with a dramatic morning when four missiles hit within the first hour and seven people lost their lives, dozens more injured. Local officials reported that there is no safe place left in Ukraine, a stark warning echoed by the city’s mayor.
That was the stark reading of the latest bombardment in Lviv. Early on, the war machine had hit a gas depot and a repair depot without casualties. Before that, a military base several kilometers outside the city saw 35 dead. This time, missiles struck three military sites that included so-called empty warehouses and a mechanic workshop. The identities of the victims were confirmed by local authorities. A Ukrainian aide framed the moment by saying that the Russians continued to attack Ukrainian cities from the sky while claiming the world should accept their supposed right to kill Ukrainians. In this stance, Mykhailo Podolyak, adviser to the Ukrainian president, spoke with forceful clarity.
Preliminary findings from Kyiv suggest the missiles were launched from the Caspian region, more than 2,000 kilometers from Lviv. A skeptical remark from a Russian critic appeared on social media asking what logic lay behind the strikes and noting the estimated cost of the Kalibr missile that damaged a tire spare parts workshop, pegged at around six million euros.
hundreds of bombings
Fire rained down repeatedly across many regions of Ukraine. The Russian Defense Ministry claimed to have conducted more than a hundred airstrikes in the morning, along with extensive artillery salvos that reportedly hit multiple targets in Dnipro, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kharkiv. In the capital of Donetsk region, at least two civilians were killed by a strike near residential buildings, underscoring the indiscriminate toll on communities already bearing the brunt of the conflict.
The overall intensity appeared to rise as Russian forces advanced in the south while sustaining pressure elsewhere, despite observable attrition in the north where major cities had resisted. Ukrainian authorities noted a surge in nationwide air strikes with Kyiv reporting a noticeable uptick in cross-country bombardments in recent days.
That Donbas region, with its heavy industrial base and a population with strong Russian ties, has become a focal point for Russian military strategy and allied separatist efforts that began in 2014. Kyiv’s defense ministry continued to assert that Russian forces had not secured full control of Mariupol and that Ukrainian units remained capable of contesting key positions. The Azovstal plant, a sprawling metallurgical complex covering miles, stood as a symbol of stubborn resistance amid the fighting.
Pockets of resistance in Mariupol
Analysts cited by the BBC estimated that roughly 600 to 800 Ukrainian soldiers remained in Mariupol, many linked to the Azov Battalion. The site hosts what locals describe as underground bunkers and tunnels designed to withstand a nuclear scenario, suggesting a robust defensive network. Observers wondered how long the defenders could hold out before the Russians would have to make a perilous choice about destroying the fortress-like complex.
Though the war shows no sign of easing, thousands of Ukrainians are still returning home after long periods away. Customs data indicate that more than a million have gone back to their homeland, outpacing the number of people entering the country on a given day, reversing the earlier flow of refugees and emphasizing the deep ties that bind communities to their land.