At least two people lost their lives overnight into Saturday as Russia persisted with a large-scale drone assault on Ukraine, part of an intensified bombing strategy that has dealt another blow to hopes of resolving the enduring conflict that has lasted over three years.

According to regional Governor Ruslan Zaparaniuk, two fatalities and 14 injuries occurred when Russian forces launched an attack on the Bukovina area in Ukraine’s southwestern Chernivtsi region, using four drones and a missile. The two deaths were reportedly caused by debris falling from a downed drone.

In the western Lviv region, six individuals were injured as a result of another drone strike, regional Governor Maksym Kozytskyi reported.

In northeastern Ukraine, three people suffered injuries in Kharkiv when the city was targeted by a barrage of eight drones and two missiles, according to Mayor Ihor Terekhov.

Ukraine’s air force stated that Russia launched a combined assault of 597 drones and decoys, along with 26 cruise missiles, during the night leading into Saturday. Out of these, Ukrainian defenses successfully intercepted 319 drones and 25 cruise missiles, while 258 decoy drones were lost, likely due to electronic interference.

The scale of Russia’s attacks on urban centers in Ukraine has been increasing. Earlier in the week, Russia exceeded its prior records by launching over 700 attack and decoy drones in a single night, focusing heavily on Lutsk, located near the Polish border. The Lviv region remains a key route for military supplies arriving from overseas.

In response, Poland dispatched fighter jets to monitor its airspace near Ukraine, according to Polish authorities.

This rise in aerial assaults has been accompanied by Russian efforts to breach Ukrainian defenses along a 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) frontline, where Ukrainian forces are reportedly facing mounting challenges.

Meanwhile, Russia’s Defense Ministry announced that it had intercepted and destroyed 33 Ukrainian drones during the same overnight period.