How many drones did Russia launch against Ukraine on March 24, 2026?

Russia launched 948 drones in a 24-hour period, alongside 23 cruise missiles and 7 ballistic missiles. Ukraine shot down 365 drones and 25 missiles.

Has Russia's spring offensive in Ukraine officially begun?

Yes. The Institute for the Study of War formally declared on March 24 that Russia's spring-summer offensive has begun, citing Commander-in-Chief Gen. Syrskyi's report of 619 Russian attacks in four days and simultaneous attempts to breach defensive lines on multiple fronts.

What happened at the UNESCO World Heritage site in Lviv?

A Russian drone struck a building adjacent to the 17th-century St. Andrew's Church in Lviv's UNESCO World Heritage historic center. Ukrainian PM Yulia Svyrydenko described it as a deliberate attack on a crowded city center in broad daylight.

How are Russia's Ukraine attacks affecting European energy?

Russian strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure caused blackouts in six Ukrainian regions and prompted Moldova to propose a 60-day state of energy emergency. European natural gas prices edged higher on March 24 as markets priced in increased disruption risk.

What are total Russian military losses in Ukraine?

Ukraine's Ministry of Defense reported total Russian combat losses at approximately 1,289,740 killed or wounded since February 2022. NATO's more conservative assessment puts the figure at roughly 450,000 killed or seriously wounded.

Russia Launches Spring Offensive With 948 Dro…

Russia hit 11 Ukrainian regions on March 24 with 948 drones, 23 cruise missiles, and 7 ballistic missiles. ISW confirmed the spring-summer offensive has begun.

Russia launched one of the most intense aerial barrages of its nearly four-year war against Ukraine on March 24, 2026 — a 24-hour assault involving 948 Shahed-type drones, 23 cruise missiles, and 7 ballistic missiles that struck targets across 11 Ukrainian regions and prompted the Institute for the Study of War to formally declare that Russia's long-anticipated spring-summer offensive has begun.

Ukraine's air defenses destroyed 365 drones and 25 missiles, but the volume of the assault — by design — ensured that enough ordnance got through to cause significant damage. Four people were killed and dozens wounded in attacks spanning Kyiv, Vinnytsia, Ivano-Frankivsk, Khmelnytsky, Chernihiv, Ternopil, Poltava, Sumy, Zaporizhia, and Odessa. Two people were killed in Ivano-Frankivsk; two more are in intensive care in Poltava, including a child. A 14-story residential building in Dnipro was struck.

The most symbolically significant strike hit Lviv, where a drone struck a building adjacent to the 17th-century St. Andrew's Church in the city's UNESCO World Heritage historic center. Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko posted on X: "Russia is attacking a crowded city centre in broad daylight." Lviv, in western Ukraine far from the front lines, has been a refuge for internally displaced Ukrainians and a hub for Western journalists and aid workers throughout the war; strikes there carry a different political weight than attacks on the Donbas.