Massive Russian drone barrage
Russia launched a nearly 1,000‑UAV assault inside a single 24‑hour period — one of the largest drone offensives of the war — marking a sharp escalation in scale and tempo. (youtube.com)
Ukraine’s air force posted that 948 strike UAVs were used against Ukraine over the 24‑hour window spanning March 23–24, a tally Kyiv described as the largest single‑day aerial assault since the full‑scale invasion began. ( ) Kyiv’s breakdown showed 556 attack drones launched during the daytime on March 24 and 392 overnight, and its air force reported 541 of the 556 daytime drones had been neutralized by 19:00 local time. ( ) Reuters reported that the daytime strikes in Lviv killed at least three people and wounded about 30, and that separate overnight bombardments killed five people elsewhere in Ukraine. (usnews.com) The city of Lviv sustained hits to its historic centre: the Bernardine Monastery and buildings around St Andrew’s Church — part of the UNESCO World Heritage ensemble — were damaged, while local officials said a maternity hospital in Ivano‑Frankivsk had windows blown out. ( ) Ukraine said it deployed all available air‑defence assets — manned aircraft, anti‑aircraft drones, electronic‑warfare systems and ground air defences — and Interfax quoted Kyiv as reporting 906 of the 948 UAVs were downed or damaged. (en.interfax.com.ua) President Volodymyr Zelensky used the attacks to renew an appeal for air‑defence munitions, warning Kyiv faces a shortfall as Russia moves troops and heavy equipment toward the front, a dynamic noted by analysts cited in coverage of the assaults. (aljazeera.com)
