Russia intensified its assault on Ukraine overnight into Saturday, launching a barrage of 597 drones and 26 cruise missiles, killing at least two people and wounding dozens in a relentless bombing campaign. The attacks, which targeted multiple regions, have further dimmed hopes for peace in the ongoing three-year war.

In southwestern Ukraine’s Chernivtsi region, two people were killed by debris from a Russian drone in the Bukovina area, where four drones and a missile struck, according to regional Governor Ruslan Zaparaniuk. Fourteen others were injured in the attack.

In the western Lviv region, a drone assault wounded six people, regional Governor Maksym Kozytskyi reported. Meanwhile, Kharkiv in northeastern Ukraine saw eight drones and two missiles hit the city, injuring three, said Mayor Ihor Terekhov.

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Ukraine’s air force managed to shoot down 319 drones and 25 cruise missiles, with 258 decoy drones likely disrupted by electronic jamming. The scale of the attack follows a pattern of escalating Russian long-range strikes, with over 700 drones and decoys launched earlier this week, targeting strategic areas like Lutsk, a key hub for foreign military aid near Poland’s border.

Poland scrambled fighter jets in response to the activity near its border, Polish officials confirmed.

The intensified Russian offensive, coupled with efforts to breach Ukraine’s 1,000-kilometer front line, has put immense pressure on Ukrainian forces. Russia’s Defence Ministry claimed it downed 33 Ukrainian drones during the same period, signaling ongoing tit-for-tat aerial warfare.

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