Russia, 948 drones in 24 hours... Simultaneous strike across Ukraine
The BBC reported that Russia mobilized 948 drones to attack all of Ukraine in 24 hours. The Ukrainian Air Force announced that large-scale attacks continued during daylight hours, with deaths and injuries occurring in Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Vinnytsia.
Published
March 25, 2026
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News Desk
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Original text: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz90gpyw90wo
Attacks in numbers: the claim of “the most in 24 hours”
The BBC reported that Russia had launched the largest aerial attack in 24 hours since the start of the war. According to the article, 948 drones were used, and several cities were hit simultaneously.
The Ukrainian Air Force said 556 drones had been launched during daylight hours since 09:00 on Tuesday, in what it described as an “unusual daytime attack.” The same report said at least three people were killed and dozens were injured.
Damage spread to the West: Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ternopil
A characteristic of this attack appears to be that the western region, which had been relatively unaffected, came to the fore. In Lviv, the 16th-century Bernardine Monastery, part of the city center's UNESCO World Heritage site, was damaged, local authorities said, according to the BBC.
In the Ivano-Frankivsk region, a maternity hospital was hit, and local authorities said two people were killed and four others, including a 6-year-old child, were injured. Several “direct hits” were reported in Ternopil, but no casualties were reported.
Central strike: Vinnytsia and ‘multiple injuries’ reported
In addition to the west, central cities were affected. In Vinnytsia, one person was killed and 13 were injured, regional director Natalia Zabolotna was quoted as saying.
Lviv regional director Maxim Kozytsky said 32 people were injured, and local authorities posted photos and videos of flames rising from residential buildings near the monastery, the BBC added. Video from the scene reportedly showed a drone flying low and crashing into a building.
Air Defense and Tactics: Drones Arrive in “Sequence”
Ukraine claimed to have intercepted most of the drones and missiles, but at the same time reportedly acknowledged that there had been “direct strikes” in several areas. In the previous night's attack, 11 areas were hit and five people were killed, and Ukraine said 392 drones and 34 missiles were launched.
Air Force spokesman Yuri Ignat said the drones from the north entered the airspace “in a column,” which could be interpreted as an attempt to shake up air defenses with a saturation attack. It was also assessed that the geographical range of the strike during daytime was wider than at night.
Political Message and Diplomatic Environment: Zelenskyy’s Assessment
President Zelenskyy was reported to have said in a video address Tuesday evening that the scale of the attack “clearly shows that Russia has no intention of ending the war.” Meanwhile, the Russian military did not comment publicly on the attack, the BBC reported.
Additionally, the fact that peace negotiations mediated by the United States have stalled since the war between the United States, Israel, and Iran that began at the end of February shows that the space for diplomacy has narrowed. Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenska is said to have written on social media with the intention, “I will not allow Ukraine’s tragedy to become another statistic or a skipped headline.”
Points to watch in the future are (1) whether weekly large-scale drone strikes are repeated, (2) what impact the damage to cultural heritage and medical facilities in the West has on international public opinion, and (3) what constraints the speed of consumption of air defense assets and ammunition places on the sustainability of the battlefield. As someone who holds a leveraged ETF focusing on growth stocks such as PLTR and TSLA, I am concerned that as the war of attrition for drones and air defense lasts, the frequency of headlines such as “defense industry and aerospace budget” interfering with market sentiment may increase. For now, it seems better to check the regional damage total and Russia's next attack pattern (night/day, proportion of missiles).
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