At least 26 individuals lost their lives, with many still unaccounted for, following a Russian drone and missile strike that targeted residential buildings in Ternopil, a city in western Ukraine, as reported by the Ukrainian interior minister. Ihor Klymenko disclosed that 26 people remained missing after the strikes, which included three children, and nearly 100 individuals sustained injuries.
The attack involved 476 drones and 48 missiles launched by Russia, damaging energy and transportation infrastructure and leading to emergency power shutdowns in various regions amid freezing temperatures. The upper levels of an apartment building in Ternopil were severely damaged, emitting black smoke and an orange glow from fires within the structure.
Klymenko, via Telegram, informed that rescue teams worked tirelessly through the night to search the site of the destroyed apartment building. He emphasized the importance of locating any potential survivors trapped under the rubble, highlighting the extensive damage where entire apartments were engulfed in flames, causing panic among residents who attempted to escape.
Tragically, three children were among the casualties, prompting emotional pleas from relatives like Oksana Kobel, who hoped for her son’s safe recovery after being in the ninth-floor apartment during the assault. Meanwhile, neighboring Poland took precautionary measures by temporarily closing Rzeszow and Lublin airports and deploying Polish and allied aircraft to safeguard airspace.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed reports of strikes on multi-story residential buildings in Ternopil and expressed concerns about potential individuals trapped beneath the debris. He urged international allies to intensify pressure on Russia to halt the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and advocated for increased air defense missile support for Kyiv.
The extensive damage caused by the strikes affected energy infrastructure across seven Ukrainian regions, leading to power consumption restrictions nationwide. Witnesses reported explosions in Lviv, while residents in Kyiv sought shelter in metro stations. Russia, denying deliberate targeting of civilians, claimed its airstrikes were in retaliation for alleged “terrorist attacks” on Russian territories.
Zelenskyy engaged in diplomatic efforts, meeting with Turkish officials in Turkey and planning discussions with U.S. military representatives in Kyiv to revive peace negotiations with Russia. Despite previous rounds of talks, brokered by Turkey, no direct engagements between Kyiv and Moscow have occurred recently, with ongoing military actions by Russian forces since the invasion began in early 2022.
Efforts to support Ukraine’s recovery and protect against further aggression from Russia have been ongoing among European allies, focusing on potential funding, security guarantees post-war, and future American security commitments without deploying troops on Ukrainian soil.
The situation remains tense as international stakeholders navigate diplomatic channels and humanitarian concerns amid escalating hostilities in the region.