Russian Airstrikes Hit Lviv, Ukraine’s City Nearest to Polish Border, Killing Three Children

Lviv, Ukraine – Sept 4, 2024 – Russian airstrikes in the early morning hours of Wednesday, September 4, struck the Ukrainian city of Lviv, located just miles from the Polish border, resulting in the deaths of at least seven people, including three children. The head of the local military administration reported that the attacks destroyed three schools and numerous residential buildings, leaving 47 people injured.

The city of Lviv, which has been a refuge for those fleeing heavier fighting in eastern Ukraine, came under fire from Shahed combat drones and Kinzhal ballistic missiles, weapons regularly employed by the Russian military in their invasion of Ukraine.

According to the head of the local military administration, Maksym Kozytskyi, the strikes hit not only schools but also a recreation center and at least seven architectural monuments of local significance. Lviv’s mayor, Andriy Sadovy, posted on Telegram that more than 50 buildings in the historic city center had been damaged, including homes, clinics, and residential buildings. One heart-wrenching story emerged of a local family where only the father survived, while his wife and their three young daughters perished in the attack.

Ukrainian officials reported that the Russian assault on Lviv included the use of 13 missiles and 29 attack drones, with seven cruise missiles and 22 drones successfully shot down by the Ukrainian air force.

Lviv, which had largely been spared the worst of the fighting in the past, now joins a growing list of Ukrainian cities devastated by Russian strikes. Just last week, Russian attacks targeted Lviv‘s energy infrastructure, causing outages across the city.

In the aftermath of the attacks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy took to Telegram to emphasize the critical need for air defense capabilities: “Any partner in the world who helps Ukraine with air defense is a true defender of life… Terror must be stopped.” President Zelenskyy also renewed his calls for Western allies to provide Ukraine with long-range weapons to enable Ukraine to carry out its own long-range missile attacks and better protect its citizens.

The strikes on Lviv came as all of Ukraine was under an air raid alert, with cities across the country facing a fresh wave of Russian attacks. In Poltava, rescue workers searched through the rubble of a military communications institute for survivors after it was hit by two missiles. Mykyta Petrov, a cadet at the institute, described the horrific scene, stating, “There was too much blood, too many dead bodies… You just imagine being on the sixth floor and having to run downstairs in two minutes.”

As Ukraine continues to endure relentless assaults from Russian forces, the international community is faced with the stark reality of the ongoing human cost of this war and the urgent need for defensive support to help protect Ukrainian cities and civilians.