KYIV, Ukraine — Russian missiles killed at the least 5 folks and destroyed dozens of houses in Lviv earlier than daybreak on Thursday, in what officers mentioned was the largest assault on the western Ukrainian metropolis since Russia launched its full-scale invasion greater than 16 months in the past.

The authorities mentioned Thursday morning that the ages of the victims ranged from 21 to 95 and warned that there might nonetheless be folks trapped underneath rubble. Hours later, they mentioned a fifth physique, a lady, had been pulled from the wreckage and that rescue efforts were continuing.

More than 30 folks had been wounded within the strike on Lviv, which is lots of of miles from the entrance traces and has largely been spared the worst violence of the battle. President Volodymyr Zelensky vowed a response, saying on Twitter that it will be a “strong one.”

The Ukrainian navy mentioned that Russian forces fired 10 Kalibr cruise missiles from carriers and submarines within the Black Sea. Seven missiles had been intercepted, the navy mentioned, with others hitting the condo advanced and different websites.

“This is the largest attack on Lviv’s civilian infrastructure since the beginning of the full-scale invasion,” Andriy Sadovyi, the town’s mayor, mentioned in a video posted on Twitter that confirmed him standing in entrance of wrecked vehicles, damaged home windows and particles strewn on the road. He mentioned greater than 50 flats had been destroyed.

Maksym Kozytskyy, the head of the regional military administration, mentioned {that a} piece of vital infrastructure had additionally been broken however didn’t present particulars.

In the early days of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Lviv was thought of comparatively protected given its proximity to the border with Poland, a NATO member. But it stays nicely inside attain of Moscow’s missiles as preventing rages on the entrance traces.

Throughout the battle, Russian forces have been shifting their techniques with missile and drone assaults, testing and making an attempt to exhaust Ukrainian air protection programs. That’s what occurred early on Thursday, in line with Ukraine’s navy, which mentioned a number of teams of missiles had been noticed on radar heading north earlier than “abruptly changing course” to the west.

Hours after the strike, as rescuers and firefighters eliminated chunks of rubble from the blast website, a crowd of about 100 folks had gathered to look at and look ahead to permission from the police to re-enter broken buildings. The air was full of mud; damaged glass crackled underfoot.

Students from a close-by dormitory sat on a table-tennis desk, watching the scene. Many wore mismatched garments, having grabbed no matter they may throw on earlier than working for shelter when the sirens sounded.

Air-raid alerts had began wailing at about 1:30 a.m. in elements of Ukraine — together with within the capital, Kyiv — earlier than spreading to different areas. An hour later, the entire nation was marked “red” on on-line alert maps, with Ukraine’s Air Force warning that a number of missiles had been transferring towards the west.

The first stories of explosions in Lviv quickly adopted. The authorities mentioned air defenses had been working and urged residents to stay in shelters.

“It was very loud,” Mr. Kozytskyy, the pinnacle of the regional administration, wrote on the Telegram app simply earlier than 3 a.m., urging folks to remain in a protected place.

After the all clear was given round 3:20 a.m., ambulance sirens had been heard within the metropolis.

Stanislav Kozliuk contributed reporting from Lviv.