Kyiv, Sep 04 (V7N) — Russia has intensified its offensive across Ukraine, with fresh missile and drone attacks targeting the capital city of Kyiv and the western city of Lviv on Wednesday. The assaults have resulted in significant damage and loss of life, adding to the growing list of devastated regions in the war-torn country.

According to the Ukrainian military, the latest attacks in Lviv have claimed the lives of seven people and injured at least 30 others. The Lviv regional governor reported that the strikes destroyed historic buildings in the city center, deepening the impact on the local community.

Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovy stated that the city was hit by a massive barrage of drones and hypersonic missiles early Wednesday morning. Among the casualties were a mother and her three daughters, as well as a child and another young girl, underscoring the devastating toll on civilians.

This attack on Lviv comes just a day after a ballistic missile strike in the central Ukrainian city of Poltava, where 50 people were killed and more than 100 injured. The missile destroyed a critical military installation in the city, further destabilizing the region.

Witnesses reported hearing several explosions on the outskirts of both Kyiv and Lviv, with sounds resembling the activation of air defense systems. Ukrainian military officials confirmed that defense units were deployed in an attempt to intercept the incoming missiles and drones.

Maksim Kozhitsky, the governor of Lviv region, described the noise from the explosions as "quite loud," adding that residential buildings in Lviv suffered significant damage. The attack on Lviv marks one of the most severe assaults on the city, which had previously been spared from the worst of the two-and-a-half-year conflict. Key infrastructure in Lviv has increasingly become a target of Russian strikes over the past week.

Meanwhile, neighboring Poland has ramped up efforts to secure its airspace, becoming active for the third time in just eight days in response to the ongoing attacks.

Prior to the assault on Lviv, Russia also launched a massive missile and drone attack on Kyiv on Monday, resulting in the destruction of an Islamic cultural center and mosque and injuring two people. Additionally, airstrikes were carried out in the northeastern city of Kharkiv.

Despite the escalating violence, Russia has yet to issue a statement regarding the attacks on Poltava, Kyiv, and Lviv. Moscow has previously maintained that its strikes are aimed at Ukraine's military, energy, and transport infrastructure, rather than targeting civilians.

In response to the intensifying attacks, Ukrainian officials have reiterated their calls for more long-range missiles from Western allies to bolster their defense capabilities and counter the ongoing Russian offensives.