A 23-year-old Ukrainian police officer was killed and 25 others injured in an explosion in Lviv early on Sunday, in what the authorities have termed an act of terrorism.
According to the National Police of Ukraine, two homemade bombs, which were located in public trash bins, exploded after police were called to a reported break-in shortly after midnight.
The first explosion occurred when a police car arrived at a city-center shop, followed by a second blast as a further police unit approached the area.
The police officer who lost her life in the attack was named as Viktoria Shpylka.
According to the police, she had joined the force at the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and had been working in the Kherson region before being posted to Lviv. “She was only 23 years old and had begun her service at the start of the full-scale invasion of the Kherson region,” the police posted on Telegram.
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has confirmed that a suspect had been arrested in connection with the attack. Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyi has revealed that the suspect was a Ukrainian national.
The police later revealed that the suspect, aged 33, had set up the explosives on the orders of a Russian intelligence agent.
Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said that the suspect, who is a resident of the north-western Rivne region, was arrested together with investigators from the Security Service of Ukraine. “We are identifying other persons involved in committing this crime,” Klymenko wrote on Telegram.
The regional prosecutor’s office has opened a criminal probe into what it called an “act of terrorism that led to grave consequences.” According to hospital sources, 11 people were admitted for treatment, including six police officers who were seriously injured.
The attack in Lviv came amid a series of Russian attacks in Ukraine, only two days before the fourth anniversary of the full-scale invasion ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin in February 2022.
Ukrainian authorities in Kyiv said that air defenses had intercepted 50 missiles and 286 drones overnight, with the attacks aimed at energy infrastructure, residential buildings, and railways.
At least one person was killed in the Kyiv region, said Mykola Kalashnyk, the region’s chief official.
A woman and a child had been treated for injuries sustained in the attacks, which came as Ukrainian forces pressed on with efforts to strengthen key urban areas in the west of the country.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine, ordered by President Vladimir Putin in February 2022, has resulted in a high number of military and civilian casualties on both sides and is considered the biggest conflict in Europe since World War Two.
Military analysts in the West have long estimated that Russian combat casualties have been higher than those of the Ukrainians, although the exact number is unclear.
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At present, Moscow exercises control over approximately 20% of Ukrainian territory, including the Crimean Peninsula in the south, which it annexed in 2014, and the Donetsk, Luhansk, and Kherson regions.
The Ukrainian government continues to report daily attacks and missile strikes in the eastern and western cities, reflecting the extent of Russian military action.
The Lviv bombing is the latest in a series of attacks that have targeted law enforcement and public infrastructure.
Previous reports by the Ukrainian government have indicated a series of small-scale explosive attacks in major cities, which Kyiv has attributed to Russian-backed agents or sympathizers.
Security in Lviv and other western cities has been heightened in the wake of the bombing, with increased patrols around public spaces, government offices, and business districts.
The National Police has indicated that emergency services were trained to respond quickly, but that improvised explosive devices continue to pose a threat to both civilians and law enforcement personnel.
President Zelensky described the Lviv bombing as a move to destabilize the safety of civilians and the authority of the state.
In a televised statement, he said, “An individual suspected of carrying out the terrorist attack has been detained,” adding that the government is working to identify other accomplices.
The Ukrainian government has been working in collaboration with other international actors on intelligence and security.
Western officials have committed to providing support in thwarting Russian operations, such as the supply of surveillance tools, training for explosive ordnance disposal teams, and strengthening air defense systems.
The attack has also come at a time when the country is gaining much attention as it prepares to celebrate the fourth anniversary of the war.
Memorial services are expected to take place in Kyiv and other parts of the country on Tuesday, with warnings of possible security threats in major cities.
Forensic evidence has begun to be collected by investigators in Lviv from the bombing sites, including the remains of the improvised explosive devices and footage from the vicinity of local businesses and roads.
Police officials have stated that the detained suspect is being thoroughly interrogated, with attempts to track any communication with foreign operatives.