2 killed, 20 injured as Russia launches missile, drone attacks striking Ukrainian cities far from front line

Editor's note: This is a developing story and is being updated. The article contains graphic footage.

Russia continued its attacks on western Ukrainian cities overnight on July 12, striking communities far from the front line with drone swarms and missile attacks for the third straight night.

Multiple explosions were heard in the western cities of Lviv and Chernivtsi between 3 a.m. - 4:45 a.m. local time, according to Kyiv Independent journalists on the ground. Public broadcaster Suspilne also reported explosion in the city of Lutsk around 3:30 a.m.

In Chernivtsi, a 26-year-old woman and a 43-year-old man were killed as a result of falling debris, Ruslan Zaparnyuk, head of the Chernivtsi Oblast Military Administration, reported. A total of 14 people were injured in the region, including four people who remain in serious condition.

Several residential buildings, shops, administrative buildings, and vehicles were damaged in Chernivtsi, Zaparnyuk added.

In Lviv, a fire broke out on the roof of a "non-residential" building in the Zaliznychnyi district of the city, Mayor Andrii Sadovy reported. Several residential and industrial buildings, vehicles, and a kindergarten were struck in the city.

Maksym Kozytsky, head of the Lviv Oblast Military Administration, said that six people were injured in the attack, including an 11-year-old boy. One person was hospitalized, and five others received medical treatment on site.

The Zaliznychnyi and Halytskyi districts were hit the hardest, with 46 houses, 20 cars, three buildings of the Lviv Polytechnic National University, courts, and 20 businesses damaged, Sadovyi said.

Fifteen apartments were rendered uninhabitable, and their 28 residents were offered temporary residence in hotels, according to the mayor.

In Lutsk, damage was caused to a home and vehicle amid the attack, the city's Mayor Ihor Polishchuk reported. Nobody was injured in the strike.

Thirty-five drones and two missiles were recorded over the region.

It remains unclear whether Russia targeted or hit any military or other strategic targets in the attack, as Ukrainian authorities largely do not disclose such information for security reasons. This makes the full extent of casualties and damage impossible to verify.

Local officials also reported drones approaching Lviv, Ternopil, and Volyn oblasts in the early morning hours of July 12, with Ukraine's Air Force warning of dozens of attack drones heading towards areas along the country's western border.

Later in the evening, Ukraine's Air Force also warned of dozens of ballistic missile attacks heading towards the western part of the country.

Russia launched 26 cruise missiles and 597 attack drones overnight, with the vast majority of drones and over 20 missiles shot down by Ukrainian air defenses, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on X.

"The pace of Russia’s aerial strikes demands swift decisions – and it can be curbed through sanctions right now," Zelensky said.

"More air defense systems are needed, along with investments in interceptor drones, which are already delivering good results."

Poland's Air Force said on X that the country scrambled fighter jets to protect Polish airspace amid the attack. Ukraine's air raid alerts were lifted in all but the front-line regions around 5:30 a.m. local time.

As Russian air attacks have intensified in recent months, their tactics have visibly shifted, with a growing number of missile and drone attacks now targeting western regions once considered relatively safe.

The renewed attack comes just days after Russia carried out its largest air assault yet on July 9, launching a record 741 drones, with the western city of Lutsk experiencing what local officials described as the heaviest bombardment to date.

Just a day later, on July 10, Russian drones struck Chernivtsi, located just north of Ukraine's border with Romania. The wider overnight attack on the country killed at least two people and injured 28 in Kyiv.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said on July 10 that Russia intends to drastically escalate its drone attacks, potentially launching up to 1,000 drones per day.

Zelensky said in an evening address on July 11 that U.S. military aid shipments to Ukraine, including air defense weaponry, have been restored amid a previous pause in weapons deliveries. In recent days, U.S. President Donald Trump has railed against intensified Russian attacks on Ukraine, adding that the United States would provide Ukraine with additional shipments of weapons.