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In the early hours of Sunday, the city of Lviv in western Ukraine, usually seen as one of the safest locations in the nation, suffered among its most sustained strikes since the beginning of Vladimir Putin's comprehensive invasion.

For five hours, Russian Shahed drones and rockets targeted the city, located approximately 70km from the border with Poland. Powerful blasts were audible from the city center, a designated UNESCO heritage location.

Victims and Damage Across the Country

Nationwide, no fewer than five individuals were killed – four individuals in the Lviv region and another in the Zaporizhzhia city. Additionally, 14 people were injured. Among the victims was a 15-year-old girl, who perished along with three other relatives when their residence was hit.

Sections of Lviv was left without electricity, as reported by the city leader. Large blazes broke out in several areas, such as a industrial zone in the south of the city.

As the acrid smell of smoke and fumes engulfed the city, the regional governor advised inhabitants to keep windows shut and refrain from going outside or to use protective masks or breathing apparatus.

International Reactions and Defense Measures

Polish military aviation reported it scrambled jets and implemented defensive measures to secure its airspace following a recent violation by Russian decoy drones. There were also multiple drone sightings last week in European Union nations including Denmark and Germany.

• More than fifty rockets and about 500 attack drones were utilized in the assault.
• Weaponry included long-range guided missiles, Iranian-designed Shaheds and Kinzhal ballistic missiles.
• Several regions were impacted, including Ivano-Frankivsk region, Zaporizhzhia oblast, Odessa, Kherson area, Sumy, Kharkiv and Chernihiv.

Call for Global Assistance

The nation's leader urged international partners to strengthen air defences and to establish a restricted airspace – a measure that has so far been approached cautiously.

"An independent cessation of hostilities in the skies is attainable – and it is precisely that which could pave the path to real diplomacy. The United States and European nations must act to make Russian leadership cease," the message emphasized.

Over the past few days, Russian forces has focused on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, leading to electricity outages in multiple regions, a tactic repeated in the approach to colder months for the previous three winters. Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces continues to target fuel infrastructure deep inside Russian territory with its domestically developed long-range drones.

Community Consequences

The city was in the midst of the yearly Lviv literary festival, with authors and attendees gathered in the city for a major literary events in the region.

In addition to local authors, including poets Julia Musakovska and Artur Dron, there were international speakers featuring British award-winning poet Fiona Benson, and, joining by remote connection, the Booker Award recipient Bernardine Evaristo, and the Nobel laureate Olga Tokarczuk.

On Sunday morning, debris was continuing to descend on the streets of the city, as exhausted residents emerged and participated in church services. The twisted metal remains of a Russian drone rested on a sidewalk outside a block of flats, marked off with warning barriers.