Russian forces launched a widespread drone attack across western Ukraine on September 12, injuring at least five people in Volyn Oblast and causing power outages in Rivne Oblast. The strikes targeted infrastructure far from the front lines, demonstrating Russia's ability to reach deep into the country.
The drone attacks on western Ukraine highlight Russia's expanded reach and its strategy to target economic infrastructure, aiming to disrupt Ukraine's ability to sustain itself during the conflict.
Russian forces launched a widespread drone attack across western Ukraine on September 12, targeting regions far from the front lines. In Volyn Oblast, at least five people were injured and debris from a drone struck a passenger train in Lutsk after passengers had been evacuated. Neighboring Rivne Oblast experienced power outages in parts of Dubno and the Rivne district, and an unspecified enterprise in the Sarny district was destroyed. Regional authorities stated that the attacks demonstrate Russia's capability to strike deep into western Ukraine. Volyn borders Poland and Belarus, while Rivne is to its east. These western regions have been targeted less frequently than front-line areas but have increasingly seen Russian drone activity during large-scale nationwide assaults. This attack was part of a broader assault, with President Volodymyr Zelensky reporting that Russia launched nearly 500 strike drones across the country that day. Zelensky characterized the attacks as an expansion of the war into the economic sphere, using primitive tactics to destroy infrastructure.