Russian drone crashes into Lviv playground, damages church, homes near monument to Ukrainian nationalist leader

A Russian drone struck a children's playground in central Lviv on the morning of 15 January, landing near the monument to Stepan Bandera, according to Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyi and regional governor Maksym Kozytskyi.

"According to preliminary information, there is a hit by an enemy combat drone in the center of Lviv. All relevant services have gone to the scene," Kozytskyi wrote on Telegram.

The drone hit the playground on Stepana Bandery Street. No casualties were reported, though the blast wave affected a tractor driver who was clearing snow at the time. "The blast wave slightly affected the tractor driver who was clearing snow, but he is fine," Sadovyi said.

Sadovyi released video footage showing the aerial target falling onto the playground near the Bandera monument.

The strike shattered windows in the Lviv Polytechnic building, a school, a college, and residential houses nearby. The State Emergency Service reported that the drone damaged stained glass windows in the Church of Saints Olha and Elizabeth, an architectural monument, as well as windows in surrounding residential buildings.

The drone struck within the historic area of Lviv, inside the buffer zone of UNESCO World Heritage Sites "Ensemble of the Historic Centre of Lviv" and "Ensemble of St. George's Cathedral," according to regional authorities.

Two architectural monuments of local significance were damaged: the Church of Saints Olha and Elizabeth, built in the early 20th century, and the building of S. Konarski School from 1892-1893, now School No. 55. The church's stained glass windows by artist Valeriy Shalenko were damaged, along with window frames in the school building.

Specialists from the Department of Architecture and Urban Planning of Lviv Regional State Administration, together with colleagues from the Office for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of Lviv City Council, are documenting the consequences of the attack on cultural heritage sites. The next step will be a commission inspection and preparation of a technical condition report.

In July 2023, UNESCO granted enhanced protection to Ukrainian cultural heritage sites, including objects within the "Ensemble of the Historic Centre of Lviv."

"Rescuers and sappers worked at the scene, inspecting the territory for explosive devices. Chemists used special equipment to determine maximum permissible concentrations of hazardous substances in the air," the emergency service stated.

Lviv authorities temporarily closed Mytropolyta Andreya and Sheptytskyh streets following the attack. Private and public transport is not operating in the area. Trolleybus routes 27, 32, and 38 are not running due to the closures, according to Sadovyi.

Electricity for the region's population is being supplied according to hourly blackout schedules. Other life support systems are operating normally. Roads of state and local significance remain passable, though surfaces are snow-covered.

In Kyiv's Solomianskyi district, debris from the Russian attack fell on a residential building, reported Kyiv Military Administration head Tymur Tkachenko.