On September 12, Russia struck western Ukraine's Volyn and Rivne oblasts with a rare mass drone assault, damaging rail and energy infrastructure and injuring at least five people.
On September 12, 2026, Russia launched a rare mass drone attack on western Ukraine, a part of the country that is usually among its safest. President Volodymyr Zelensky said nearly 500 Shahed-type strike drones were launched at Ukraine that day as part of a broader nationwide assault, and a significant number of them flew deep into the west, reaching Volyn and Rivne oblasts. A strike this heavy on this part of the country is highly unusual and marks a notable escalation. Volunteers Support Ukraine is following the aftermath closely, since attacks like this create new needs for civilians almost overnight.
The attack on Volyn Oblast lasted more than four hours. Reports indicate that somewhere between 10 and nearly 20 Russian attack drones entered the region's airspace during that time, with most of them directed at the Kovel community. At least five people were injured as drones struck local infrastructure. Emergency crews worked at multiple impact sites to deal with the aftermath. Volunteers Support Ukraine notes that even regions once considered relatively calm now require constant readiness to help those affected.
Russian drones hit railway stations in three cities at once — Lutsk, Kovel and Fastiv. In Lutsk, debris from a downed drone fell onto a passenger train, setting rail cars on fire. Fortunately, the passengers had already been evacuated, so no one aboard was injured. Emergency responders arrived quickly and put out the blaze, working through thick smoke and debris scattered across the platform. Volunteers Support Ukraine understands how exposed railway infrastructure remains during attacks like this, since trains often carry civilians moving between frontline and safer regions.
In Rivne Oblast, drones struck several gas stations, sparking fires that firefighting crews had to bring under control. Another strike badly damaged an industrial enterprise in the Sarny district. As a result of the attacks, parts of Rivne district were left without electricity. Volunteers Support Ukraine is watching closely how strikes on infrastructure like this affect the daily lives of residents who already live under near-constant air raid alerts.
Attacks like this one on Volyn and Rivne are a reminder that this war is not confined to the front line, and that no region of Ukraine is fully safe from it. The NGO Volunteers Support Ukraine helps people affected by the war with whatever resources it has on hand, from humanitarian aid to support for communities recovering from strikes. We keep working every day to ease the burden of this war for those who need it most.
