Below are the outcomes from my reporting work on Lviv. In addition to this reporting, I also gathered information about the music and wine industries in Bakhmut. All in all, I feel I did a fairly good job achieving the goals outlined in my LiA outline. I did manage to learn some German and Polish in addition to a few words of Ukrainian from my colleagues. This summer actually inspired me to study the language further, and I’ll be taking Ukrainian this fall. 

I also got a lot out of this experience in terms of understanding the Russia-Ukraine war and its impacts on everyday citizens. This term, I attended over 12 different lectures about different topics related to Ukraine, many of them focusing on minority rights in the country. Additionally, I was able to have a number of conversations with Ukrainians that really turned my understanding from theoretical to practical. 

Here is a brief overview of some of my researching findings about the wine industry in Bakhmut pre-war: 

In the early 1950s, a government decision was made to begin producing Soviet champagne. Bakhmut’s gypsum mines were identified as an ideal location for processing the product, and production soon began. In 1954, the factory produced its first batch of 500,000 bottles. In 1955, this was up to 1.3 million bottles. Demand was enormous, and production increased every year. 

The environment in Bakhmut was ideal for this production. The gypsum mine was 236 feet underground and extended for about a kilometer. Moreover, the mine had a consistent temperature of about 13-14 degrees celsius, and a humidity of 85-90 percent, with about 26 hectares of space. Even from the beginning of production in Bakhmut, grapes were not grown there but were instead imported from Crimea. 

When Ukraine gained its independence in 1991, two companies emerged: Artwinery and Krym, which both became independent Ukrainian wineries. Artwinery appears to be the more prominent of the two. In 2007, a French company helped Artwinery upgrade its facilities in Bakhmut, switching the company over to new equipment and processes. 

The 2014 invasion caused a switch in the grapes used by Artwinery (which changed its name from the original Soviet name to Artwinery in 2016). The Battle of Bakhmut devastated production, forcing Artwinery to move out of the gypsum mine entirely and to Odessa. 3 employees were killed by Russian forces, and the rest largely left the city.

Artwinery’s above ground facilities were spared for some time before being destroyed, and Prigozhin and Wagner looted the underground facilities after capturing them. As many as 3 million bottles could still remain in the cellar. However, the bottles needed to be turned daily, meaning anything that remains would likely not be drinkable. 

There is very little information available as to Russia’s plans for Bakhmut. Less information appears when using the Soviet name Artyomovsk (likely compounded by the fact that it is quite similar to the name of a district actually within Russia’s territory). As of February 28th, 2026, DPR leader Denis Pushilin stated that there are no immediate plans to restore Bakhmut.

Here are the dates I investigated strikes in Lviv and the damage that each caused to cultural property in the city: 

September 4, 2024

At approximately 9pm on September 3, 2024, Ukrainian officials received the first notice of drone strike threats in Lviv (Maksym Kozytski telegram). Strikes continued throughout the morning. The Institute for the Study of War reports that in total, Russia launched “two Kh-47 Kinzhal aeroballistic missiles from MiG-31K aircraft over Tula Oblast; two Kh-22 cruise missiles from Tu-22M3 strategic bombers over the Black Sea; six Kh-101 cruise missiles from Tu-95 strategic bombers from Volgograd Oblast airspace; three Iskander-K cruise missiles from occupied Crimea; and 29 Shahed-136/131 drones from launch areas in Kursk Oblast” and that Ukraine shot down “four Kh-101 missiles, three Iskander-K missiles, and 22 Shahed drones; six other Shaheds did not reach their targets likely due to Ukrainian electronic warfare (EW) suppression, and one Shahed flew into Belarusian airspace.” 

In total, this would suggest that two Kh-47 Kinzhal aeroballistic missiles, two Kh-22 cruise missiles, and two Kh-101 cruise missiles reached Ukraine during the attack. Based on the Russian Ministry of Defense’s Telegram posts from that day, it appears as though the Kh-47 Kinzhal aeroballistic missiles hit Lviv; it also appears as though at least some of the Shaheds launched were meant for Lviv. This theory would align with the two large strikes that were heard in the city during the attack. Given the Russian Ministry of Defense confirmed this attack on its Telegram, and that their description of events aligns with that of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, investigators can be certain that Russia launched this attack. 

The attack itself killed 7 people, including two children, and injured 64 people, 8 of whom were children. In particular, Yaryna Bazylevich lost his entire family, his wife and three daughters, in the attack.

Understanding the exact damage field is more difficult. However, there appear to have been 2 primary strike areas: one in the city’s historic district and one near the train station. One of the missiles hit the rear of the building located at 44 Konovaltsia St., which is in the city’s historic district. The building itself is a part of the city’s cultural heritage, as it was the home of Ludwik Hirsch, who served as the High Councilor of the Treasury in Austrian Lemberg. Since this strike occurred in the historic district, several other buildings also included in the Lviv City Council’s list of cultural heritage sites were also impacted. These sites include the Center for Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation, and the home of Ludwig Heller. Some reports mentioned that 7 cultural heritage sites were damaged. In other reports, that number was as high as 15 or 19. Based on the attack sites, these are the buildings most likely damaged in the historic district: 

7 cultural heritage sites likely damaged in attack according to figure below:

1. Center for Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation (confirmed by photos)
2. Ludwik Hirsch's House (Коновальця Є., 44) (confirmed by photos + report)
3. Ludwig Heller’s House (Melnyka A., 7) (confirmed by photos + report)
4. Residential building (Коновальця Є., 34)
5. Residential building (Коновальця Є., 36)
6. Building of the Ukrainian Women's Gymnasium "Ridna Shkola" (Кокорудза І., 9)
7. Residential building (Коновальця Є., 41)

I found a diagram with the labels below depicting the damage field:

Fig. 1. Situation diagram with the epicenter of the Russian missile strike on 04.09.2024. 1. Impact zone; 2. Shock wave; 3. Completely destroyed roofs; 4. Partially damaged roofs; 5. Completely or partially destroyed residential floors; 6. Buildings that were on fire; 7. Buildings with lost door and window joinery

The second field of damage appears to have been concentrated near Lviv’s train station. Indeed, damage can also be confirmed to Brativ Mikhnovs'kykh St, 16, Lviv, Lviv Oblast, Ukraine, 79018: Hotel Villa Sofi as a result of a strike on a neighboring building. 

July 12, 2025

At 8:11pm on July 11th, Lviv’s mayor Andriy Sadovy reported that an attack was in progress. At 8:59, he reported news of a hit on the city. The attack was carried out as part of a larger strike against Ukraine. In the whole of the attack, at least 4 people were killed. In Lviv itself, 10 people were injured, including 2 children. 7 received medical attention on site, and 3 were hospitalized, according to Head of the Lviv Regional Military (State) Administration Maksym Kozytsky.

According to mayor Andriy Sadovyi, damage primarily occurred in the Zaliznychny and Halytskyi districts: 46 houses, 20 cars, and over 500 windows were damaged, temporarily displacing 28 residents. Sadovyi also said that “3 buildings of the Lviv Polytechnic University, city courts, and over 20 small and medium-sized business premises were also damaged.” A later report from Maksym Kozytsky suggested that 51 residential facilities, containing 528 apartments, 19 cars, 21 business facilities, and 2 industrial facilities were damaged in the attack. Kozystsky also said that windows and exterior portions of Lviv Polytechnic were damaged.

The Ukrainian Air Force said that, in the course of the entire attack, which also hit Chernivtsi, Cherkasy, Kharkiv, Kyvi, Sumy, and Volyn oblasts in addition to Lviv, Russia launched 26 Kh-101 cruise missiles, 339 Shahed-type drones and 258 decoys, for a total of 597 drones. The Ukrainian Air Force says that 258 drones and 25 Kh-101 missiles were lost or suppressed by Ukrainian electronic warfare systems. This would suggest that 339 drones (the distinction between decoy and Shahed-type is unclear) and 1 Kh-101 missile hit in the course of the entire attack. It appears as though the missile hit Chernivtsi, meaning that the attack in Lviv itself was carried out entirely by drones.

ICOMOS Ukraine noted on Facebook that “historic buildings at 16 Mitropolita Andreya Street and 35 Oleny Stepanivny Street were seriously damaged. Debris and the blast wave damaged the facades of buildings and shattered hundreds of windows. The drones struck in the buffer zone of the World Heritage Site ‘L'viv – the Ensemble of the Historic Centre,’ specifically near the component of the site ‘Ensemble of St. Yuri’s Cathedral’ at a distance of just over 300 m from the site (from the building at 16 Mitropolita Andriya Street) and about 700 m (from the building at 35 Oleny Stepanivny Street). The impact of the blast wave on the ensemble of St. Yuri’s Cathedral and other monuments requires detailed monitoring and research.” Neither 16 Mitropolita Andreya Street nor 35 Oleny Stepanivny Street appear on the Lviv City Council’s list of cultural heritage sites in the city. 

March 24, 2026

At 10:06am on March 24, 2026, mayor Andriy Sadovy posted a warning on Telegram that drones were headed toward Lviv. By 10:19am, he reported that explosions could be heard within the city. This was part of a larger coordinated attack against Ukraine with damage reported in the Chernihiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kharkiv, Kyiv, Lviv, Mykolaiv, Odesa, Sumy, Vinnytsia, and Zaporizhia oblasts.

In the broader attack, the Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russia launched 426 drones and missiles between 6pm on March 23rd to 9am on March 24th and another 556 drones from 9am-6pm on March 24th. The Ukrainian Airforce wrote that, on the evening of March 23rd, 392 Shahed-type, Gerbera-type, Italmas-type, and other types of drones, 34 missiles (7 Iskander-M ballistic missiles, 18 Kh-101 cruise missiles, 5 Iskander-K cruise missiles, and 4 Kh-59/69/31 missiles were launched; of these, 256 drones and 25 missiles were downed. During the day on March 24th, 541 drones were downed. This means that 170 drones and 9 missiles of those launched on the evening of the 23rd and 15 drones of those launched on the 24th hit Ukraine.

Across 8 regions, the attack killed 5 civilians and injured at least 91. No one in Lviv was killed in the attack, but 26 people were injured. Mayor Andriy Sadovy reported damage in the Halytskyi and Sykhivskyi districts. In the former, 5 homes, including 17 apartments were damaged as was an architectural monument. 6 apartments were evacuated. In the latter, 19 apartment buildings were damaged, impacting 136 apartments and over 350 residents.

This attack was particularly harmful for historic architectural features of Lviv. Of particular note is the damage to the Ensemble of the Bernadine Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which experienced a fire as a result of the attack. UNESCO released a brief statement noting its concern about the damage to the site.

This summer also had a large impact on my research skills. I completed the IICI’s Foundational OSINT course, allowing me to become a certified OSINT investigator. The research skills I gained from this experience have already been extremely valuable both in my academic and professional lives. I’m very grateful for the experiences I had this summer and the knowledge and connections that I gained from them. I would like to thank both the Laidlaw Foundation and Georgetown University for supporting me and my work. I know it has had an enormous impact on me, and I hope it will also have a positive impact on the other scholars and community members who I engaged with during this project and will continue to engage with because of it.