Lutsk hit by massive blasts during Russian Shahed drone attack
Aftermath of explosions being cleared (Illustrative photo: Getty Images)
On the night of July 12, the city of Lutsk and the Volyn region came under a massive attack by enemy Shahed drones. Powerful explosions were heard throughout the region, and air defense systems actively responded to the threat, according to Lutsk Mayor Ihor Polishchuk.
An air raid alert was declared in Volyn at 2:21 a.m. Kyiv time due to the drone attack.
At 2:29 a.m., Ihor Polishchuk reported that a group of enemy unmanned aerial vehicles had crossed the border between Rivne and Volyn regions.
Just an hour later, at 3:06 a.m., a similar warning was issued by the Ukrainian Armed Forces Air Force.
The military message warned of a threat from strike drones targeting Lutsk, Chernivtsi, and Kyiv, urging citizens to stay in safe locations.
The air raid alert is currently ongoing. Explosions can be heard in the city and surrounding areas.
Monitoring channels report that out of approximately 100 Shahed drones, most are heading west toward the Volyn and Lviv regions.
In addition, launches of missiles by strategic aviation have been detected.
Local authorities are urging residents of Volyn to stay in shelters and follow safety rules until the threat has passed. The situation remains tense.
In the past 24 hours, there have been 145 combat engagements on the front lines. The enemy carried out 57 airstrikes, dropped 82 guided bombs (KAB), launched 1,178 kamikaze drone strikes, and shelled Ukrainian Armed Forces positions 3,972 times.
Notably, on the night of July 11, Russia launched 79 drones against Ukraine from three directions.
Air defense forces shot down 44 Shahed drones across the north, south, east, and center of the country. Additionally, 16 UAVs were lost or suppressed by electronic warfare (EW) measures.
Impacts from 19 drones were recorded at 8 locations, while wreckage and downed drones fell in 3 locations.
