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Early on Sunday, the city of Lviv in western Ukraine, usually considered as among the most secure urban centers in the nation, experienced one of its most serious strikes following the start of Russia's comprehensive military campaign.

For five hours, Moscow's Shahed drones and missiles targeted the city, located around 70km from the border with Poland. Large blasts could be heard from the downtown area, a Unesco world heritage site.

Victims and Damage Throughout Ukraine

Across the country, no fewer than five people lost their lives – four individuals in the Lviv region and one in the Zaporizhzhia city. Additionally, 14 individuals sustained injuries. Among the casualties was a teenage girl, who perished along with three relatives when their residence was struck.

Sections of Lviv was experienced power outages, as reported by the city leader. Significant blazes broke out in various areas, including a civilian industrial park in the southern part of the urban center.

As the pungent odor of burning and fumes permeated the city, the local administration head encouraged inhabitants to close their windows and refrain from going outside or to use protective masks or respirators.

International Responses and Security Actions

Poland's air force stated it deployed fighter aircraft and implemented defensive measures to secure its territorial skies following a recent violation by deceptive unmanned vehicles. There were also multiple drone sightings in recent days in European Union nations including Germany and Denmark.

• More than 50 missiles and approximately five hundred unmanned assault vehicles were involved in the attack.
• Armaments included long-range guided missiles, Shahed-type drones and high-speed ballistic rockets.
• Multiple areas were affected, among them Ivano-Frankivsk, Zaporizhzhia, Odesa, Kherson, Sumy region, Kharkiv oblast and Chernihiv territory.

Appeal for International Support

The nation's leader urged allies to strengthen air defences and to establish a restricted airspace – a step that has so far been approached cautiously.

"A unilateral ceasefire in the skies is attainable – and it is precisely that which could pave the path to real diplomacy. The United States and European nations must take action to make Putin stop," the statement emphasized.

Over the past few days, Russian forces has focused on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, leading to power blackouts in several areas, a tactic employed in the lead-up to colder months for the previous three winters. Meanwhile, Ukraine continues to strike oil production facilities deep inside Russian territory with its domestically developed long-range drones.

Cultural Impact

Lviv was underway of the annual Lviv literary festival, with authors and audiences gathered in the city for a major book festivals in eastern Europe.

Alongside local authors, including literary figures Julia Musakovska and Artur Dron, there were international speakers including UK-based Forward prizewinning poet Fiona Benson, and, joining by remote connection, the Booker prize-winner Bernardine Evaristo, and the Nobel laureate Olga Tokarczuk.

On Sunday morning, ash was still falling on the roads of the city, as fatigued locals emerged and attended religious gatherings. The damaged wreckage of a unmanned aircraft rested on a pavement outside a block of flats, marked off with warning barriers.