As of 18:30 local time, twelve individuals remain hospitalized in Lviv following a terrorist attack that occurred on February 22. Among the injured, two are reported to be in critical condition, according to Lviv’s mayor, Andriy Sadovyi.
Sadovyi stated that all injured parties were law enforcement officials responding to an emergency call, with the exception of one teenager residing nearby. He emphasized that this incident should not be characterized as a ‘business dispute,’ but rather as a hostile operation aimed at causing maximum harm to law enforcement personnel.
Initially, twenty individuals were admitted to medical facilities in Lviv due to injuries sustained from the explosion. The Minister of Internal Affairs, Ihor Klymenko, later confirmed that a total of 25 people were affected. Tragically, the attack resulted in the death of 23-year-old police officer Viktoriya Shpylyka.
The press service of the Lviv City Council reported that as of 18:30, Danilyshyna Street remains closed to traffic.
Details surrounding the attack indicate that explosions occurred shortly after police units arrived at the scene in response to a report of suspicious activity. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) disclosed that the emergency call involved two unidentified men in dark clothing who had damaged a local shop’s shutters and broken its lock before entering the premises. Explosions were reported shortly after police arrived.
“The information received on the emergency line indicated that two men were attempting to break into a store. Police units were dispatched, and explosions followed,” the SBU stated.
According to Minister Klymenko, among those injured are members of the National Police and the National Guard, who were on duty to maintain public order, as well as civilians.
Authorities later apprehended a 33-year-old woman suspected of carrying out the explosions in one of the regional centers of the area. She is believed to have manufactured improvised explosive devices and placed them at predetermined locations, reportedly under the direction of a handler from Russian intelligence services. The arrest took place near the town of Staryi Sambir.
Investigators have established that the devices detonated after being placed in trash bins. Surveillance footage captured the moment the explosives were likely deposited.
The Security Service of Ukraine is conducting a preliminary investigation into the incident, which is classified under Article 258 of the Ukrainian Criminal Code—pertaining to terrorist acts resulting in death—and Article 263, concerning illegal handling of weapons, ammunition, or explosives. The most severe penalties under these articles can include life imprisonment.
A terrorist attack in Lviv has left one police officer dead and several others injured. Authorities are investigating the incident, which involved improvised explosive devices placed in public areas.