At least 26 people were killed and dozens remain missing after a Russian drone and missile assault on the western Ukrainian city of Ternopil overnight, Ukraine’s interior minister said on Wednesday. The attack, one of the deadliest in months, tore through residential buildings, leaving families trapped and emergency crews racing to find survivors in freezing conditions.
Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said 26 people, including three children, were still missing, while nearly 100 others were injured. He described the devastation on Telegram, saying that entire sections of a residential block had been obliterated. “In the building where two entrances were completely burned out, not a single apartment was left intact,” he wrote. “The flames flared up instantly and engulfed the building in a wave.”
Residents Trapped as Rescue Operations Continue
The upper floors of the apartment complex were ripped apart, scattering debris across the streets below. Firefighters battled the blaze through the night as desperate residents waited for news of their loved ones.
Among them was Oksana Kobel, who said her teenage son had been inside their ninth-floor flat when the strike hit. “I called him and said, ‘Bohdan, go to the shelter, get dressed.’ He answered, ‘Mom, I am already up, everything will be fine,’” she recalled tearfully.
Officials said the barrage included 476 drones and 48 missiles, many targeting Ukraine’s energy and transport networks. Emergency power cuts were introduced across several regions as temperatures plunged. Energy infrastructure was hit in seven regions, and restrictions on electricity use were imposed nationwide.
Regional Fallout and Rising Global Pressure
The attack prompted neighbouring Poland, a NATO member, to temporarily close airports in Rzeszow and Lublin—both key transit hubs for Western military aid to Ukraine. Polish and allied fighter jets were scrambled to secure the country’s airspace during the barrage.
The strikes coincided with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s visit to Turkey for talks aimed at reviving stalled peace negotiations with Russia. Speaking afterwards, Zelenskiy urged allies to step up sanctions and increase air-defence support. “Every brazen attack against ordinary life shows that the pressure on Russia is insufficient,” he said on X. “Effective sanctions and assistance to Ukraine can change this.”
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Kyiv would raise Russia’s “horrific murder” at an upcoming UN Security Council meeting.
US Framework Proposal and Moscow’s Response
Sources told Reuters that the United States has quietly presented Ukraine with a framework proposal to end the war, suggesting that Kyiv make territorial concessions and reduce the size of its armed forces. The reported plan has not been publicly confirmed but has sparked debate over potential compromises after nearly four years of conflict.
Russia claimed responsibility for the airstrikes, saying they were retaliation for what it called “terrorist attacks” on Russian territory. Moscow alleged that Ukrainian forces had fired four US-made ATACMS missiles at the southern Russian city of Voronezh.
Ukraine’s military acknowledged striking military targets in Russia earlier in the week, continuing its campaign to disrupt Moscow’s operations.
The Ternopil attack adds to a growing list of deadly assaults on Ukrainian cities as the war shows no signs of slowing. For residents still searching for missing relatives, the human cost remains immeasurable.
(with inputs from Reuters)
