Russian Strikes Devastate Western Ukraine: 16 Killed in Ternopil Attack
A powerful Russian missile and drone barrage has struck western Ukraine, killing at least 16 people and injuring dozens more in what authorities are calling one of the deadliest attacks in the region since 2022.
The attack hit two large apartment blocks in the city of Ternopil, causing massive structural collapse and trapping residents under the rubble. According to Ukrainian emergency officials, 64 people were wounded, including 14 children.
Drone strikes and missile explosions were also reported across Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Kharkiv, triggering widespread fires, power outages, and severe damage to civilian infrastructure.
Ternopil: Residential buildings collapse
A video shared by President Volodymyr Zelensky showed one of the apartment buildings completely caved in from the third to the ninth floor. Smoke poured out from shattered windows as fire crews worked through the night to rescue survivors.
Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko confirmed that rescue operations are ongoing and that more victims may be trapped beneath the collapsed structure. Sirens continued to echo through the city as emergency teams rushed to control fires and search debris-filled areas.
Wider destruction across western Ukraine
Energy facilities, transport services, and residential neighborhoods in Lviv and Ivano-Frankivsk also suffered heavy damage. Two of the injured in Ivano-Frankivsk were children, officials said.
Kharkiv, located in the north, faced three district-wide drone attacks, leaving more than 30 people wounded and several buildings engulfed in flames.
The Ukrainian energy ministry reported power cuts in multiple regions as the strikes hit critical infrastructure.
Russia launches massive assault
President Zelensky revealed that Russia launched over 470 drones and 47 missiles in the large-scale assault, calling it one of the fiercest waves of attacks in recent months.
This strike came just a day after Ukraine publicly acknowledged using US-supplied long-range ATACMS missiles on Russian territory. Russia later claimed it shot down four of these missiles near the city of Voronezh.
Diplomatic efforts underway
Amid escalating tensions, Zelensky is traveling to Ankara, Turkey, for talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Reports suggest ongoing efforts led by US special envoy Steve Witkoff to explore a possible peace roadmap with Russia, though Moscow says it is not part of these discussions.
Meanwhile, two top US military officials Army Secretary Dan Driscoll and Army Chief of Staff General Randy George are expected to visit Kyiv, marking the highest-level US military visit since President Donald Trump took office.
Growing regional concerns
The conflict’s spillover risk also increased when Romania reported that a Russian drone briefly violated its airspace before entering Ukraine and Moldova. German and Romanian fighter jets were scrambled, though the drone’s final crash site remains unknown.
Poland temporarily closed two airports and deployed jets after detecting the large wave of strikes near its border.
As the war approaches its fourth anniversary, both Moscow and Kyiv remain firmly set in their positions, with no sign of compromise on how the conflict should end.
