Lviv Mayor Confirms Family Killed in Russian Strike, Including Three Daughters

Russian attack on Ukraine's western city of Lviv killed seven people, including 3 children, and wounded at least 47 others, the region's governor said Wednesday, Sept. 4. 

The attack comes a day after missiles hit the central city of Poltava in one of the single deadliest bombardments of Russia's invasion, which has stretched into its third year.

"We have already lost seven people due to the invaders tonight, including three children. It's a terrible tragedy," the region's governor, Maksym Kozytskyi, wrote on Telegram, extending his "condolences to the families of those we lost tonight."

According to city mayor Andriy Sadovyi, three siblings and their mother are among the victims of the strike.

"After today's attack, only one man remains alive from this photo. Evgeny's wife and their three daughters—Yarina, Daria, and Emilia—were killed in their own home. Yarina Bazilevich, who was 21 years old, worked in our office, "Lviv — Youth Capital of Europe 2025," Sadovyi wrote on Telegram. 

"In the heart of Europe, Russia is exterminating Ukrainians, wiping out entire families. Russians are killing our children, our future. I cannot find the words to comfort Father Yaroslav. Today, we all stand with you," the mayor added.

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The reports that five Russian Tu-95MS bombers took off from the Olenya airfield surfaced after 2 a.m., signalling that the massive missile attack was about to occur early in the morning.

The first powerful explosions were reported in Lviv at about 5 a.m., causing significant damage, shattering windows and igniting fires in the city’s Railway district. Emergency services quickly responded to contain the fires and assist those affected.

"More than 50 houses in the city centre were damaged, 35 people were injured. 2 medical institutions and two schools were also damaged," Andriy Sadovyi, the mayor of the city, reported in the video address.

President Volodymyr Zelensky denounced what he called "Russian terrorist strikes on Ukrainian cities."

He also repeated calls for Western partners to provide Ukraine with long-range weapons to "respond justly" to the attacks. 

The western city of Lviv has largely been spared the worst of the fighting over the two and a half years of war, but last week, Russian strikes targeted its energy infrastructure causing outages, according to officials. 

Other regions also faced missile threats. The Ukrainian Air Force reported a high-speed target moving from the Black Sea towards the Odesa region, but as of the time of publication, no additional casualties had been reported outside of Lviv.