The Ukrainian Air Force Command reported that on the night of 11/7 and early morning of 12/7, Russian forces launched 26 Kh-101 cruise missiles and 597 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), including suicide and decoy drones, against Ukraine. Ukrainian air defenses shot down 25 missiles and 319 suicide drones. Another 258 decoy drones went off course or were suppressed by electronic warfare.

Ukrainian media reported explosions in the western cities of Lviv, Chernivtsi, and Lutsk in the early hours of 12/7. According to the Ukrainian Air Force Command, one missile and 20 UAVs hit five areas.

"Civilian infrastructure, including apartment buildings, was hit. Two people were killed in the city of Chernivtsi," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, adding that more than 20 people were injured and are receiving medical treatment.

Firefighters extinguish a fire after a Russian attack on Lviv, Ukraine, on 12/7. Photo: SES

Firefighters extinguish a fire after a Russian attack on Lviv, Ukraine, on 12/7. Photo: SES

In addition to the two fatalities in Chernivtsi caused by falling debris, the attack also damaged several apartment buildings, shops, administrative buildings, and vehicles in the city.

Officials in Lviv said a fire broke out at a "non-civilian" facility in the city but did not specify further. Several industrial and civilian buildings were also hit.

Zelenskyy urged Western allies to do more to help end the war. "The current intensity of Russian air attacks requires swift decisions regarding sanctions," the Ukrainian leader said.

President Zelenskyy believes the West needs to sanction those who help Russia "produce drones and profit from oil." Oil exports are crucial to the Russian economy, especially as the country faces Western sanctions.

Russian attacks involving UAVs (yellow) and cruise missiles (red) targeting Ukraine on the morning of 12/7. Photo: X/clashreport

Russian attacks involving UAVs (yellow) and cruise missiles (red) targeting Ukraine on the morning of 12/7. Photo: X/clashreport

The Russian Ministry of Defense has not commented on the information.

Russia has recently been deploying large numbers of suicide drones in coordinated air attacks against Ukraine.

Frontelligence Insight, a Ukrainian intelligence analysis group, said on 8/7 that Russia had used a total of 28,743 suicide drones since the beginning of the conflict, including 2,763 in June alone.

President Zelenskyy said on 10/7 that Russia wants to use 1,000 UAVs to attack Ukraine daily. He stressed that Kyiv has the capacity to shoot them all down using interceptor drones, but needs support from partners and appropriate budget allocation.

Ukrainian media suggest that Russia appears to be shifting its attack tactics, increasingly targeting western regions of Ukraine, which are far from the front lines and were previously considered relatively safe.

Pham Giang (AFP, Kyiv Independent, Ukrainska Pravda)