At least 26 individuals lost their lives, and numerous others are unaccounted for following a Russian drone and missile assault that struck residential complexes in Ternopil, a western Ukrainian city, as confirmed by Ukraine’s interior minister on Wednesday.
Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko disclosed that 26 people remain missing in the aftermath of the overnight bombardments, including three children, with nearly 100 individuals sustaining injuries. The attack, which involved 476 drones and 48 missiles, targeted energy and transport infrastructure in Ukraine, resulting in emergency power outages in multiple regions amid freezing temperatures.
The upper levels of a residential building in Ternopil were severely damaged by the assault, with billowing black smoke and an orange glow from fires in the tower block. Emergency teams, as mentioned by Klymenko on Telegram, worked tirelessly throughout the night, searching the debris of the demolished apartment complex.
Klymenko emphasized the ongoing rescue efforts, stating, “A significant amount of work is ahead of us. The primary focus is on locating any potential survivors trapped under the rubble.” The minister described the harrowing scene within the building, where entire apartments in two entrances were incinerated, leaving no units unscathed. Panic ensued as flames rapidly spread, forcing people to attempt desperate escapes through windows.
Regrettably, three children were among the casualties. Oksana Kobel, a distressed mother, expressed hope for her son’s survival, who was inside a ninth-floor apartment during the attack. She recounted urging her son to seek shelter upon hearing explosions, only to receive his reassurance that everything would be fine.
Poland, a NATO member neighboring western Ukraine, took precautionary measures by temporarily closing Rzeszow and Lublin airports in the southeast and deploying Polish and allied aircraft to safeguard its airspace amid the escalating tensions.
Reports indicated similar strikes in other cities, with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy affirming the targeting of multi-storey residential buildings in Ternopil and the likelihood of individuals being trapped beneath the rubble. Zelenskyy urged international allies to intensify pressure on Russia to halt the prolonged conflict in Ukraine and provide Kyiv with enhanced air defense capabilities.
The energy sector suffered significant blows in seven Ukrainian regions, leading to nationwide power consumption restrictions. Witnesses in Lviv reported hearing explosions, while residents in Kyiv sought refuge in metro stations. Russia, denying intentional civilian targeting, claimed retaliatory airstrikes in response to alleged “terrorist attacks” on Russian territories, citing Ukrainian forces’ missile strikes on Voronezh.
Zelenskyy engaged in diplomatic talks in Turkey and was set to meet with U.S. military officials in Kyiv to revitalize peace negotiations with Russia. Direct discussions between Kyiv and Moscow have been scarce since July, with Russian military operations persisting since the invasion began in 2022.
Efforts to broker peace between Russia and Ukraine have involved multiple rounds of talks mediated by Turkey, with exchanges of prisoners and war casualties between the two nations. Amid ongoing diplomatic maneuvers, uncertainties remain regarding funding for war-torn Ukraine, postwar security assurances, and potential American security commitments.
The U.S. has ruled out deploying troops on Ukrainian soil, underscoring the complexities surrounding international responses to the conflict.