#Ukraine – On March 24, 2026, a Russian Shahed-type drone struck the historic center of Lwów, Ukraine, causing damage to the Bernardine Monastery complex (a 16th–17th-century site) and associated churches.
The attack occurred in broad daylight — unusual for Russian drone strikes on western Ukraine — as part of a massive nationwide aerial assault involving hundreds of drones.
A drone hit a residential building directly adjacent to or within the perimeter of the Bernardine Monastery complex in Lwów’s UNESCO World Heritage-listed historic center (Soborna Square area).
Damage included fire in historic apartment buildings near the monastery, damage to the monastery tow, and shattered windows and some structural impact on the complex, which includes the Church of St. Andrew. The Central State Historical Archives was also affected.
No direct fatalities occurred at the monastery site itself (thanks in part to the afternoon timing), but the broader attack killed at least three people in Lwów and injured dozens across the city and country.
The Bernardine Monastery (built starting around 1600 by the Bernardine Order) is a significant Catholic heritage site with Mannerist architecture. It forms part of Lwów’s UNESCO-protected historic ensemble. The complex has long served religious, cultural, and archival purposes and is not a frontline military target. Ukrainian officials, including Lwów Mayor Andriy Sadovyi, described the strike as an attack on European culture and heritage. UNESCO expressed deep alarm, noting the damage to a protected World Heritage property.
Image: Bernardine Monastery seen before the start of the Russo-Ukraine War.
