KYIV, UKRAINE — A devastating overnight missile and drone attack launched by Russia has resulted in the deaths of 19 people and injuries to 66 others, including 16 children, Ukraine’s national police confirmed.
The heaviest toll was recorded in the western city of Ternopil, where a Russian strike tore away the upper floors of a residential tower block. Images from the scene showed black smoke pouring from the building, with a persistent orange glow indicating an ongoing fire.
The widespread assault, which targeted Ukraine’s energy and transport infrastructure, utilized more than 470 drones and 48 missiles. The damage to power facilities across seven Ukrainian regions forced authorities to implement emergency power cuts amid frigid temperatures. A Reuters witness also reported hearing explosions in the western city of Lviv.
In response to the proximity of the attacks, Poland, a bordering NATO member, temporarily closed Rzeszow and Lublin airports and scrambled Polish and allied aircraft as a precautionary measure to safeguard its airspace.
President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed the multi-storey residential building strikes in Ternopil, noting that more victims may be trapped beneath the rubble. He used the attack to renew his call for allies to increase pressure on Moscow and provide Ukraine with more air-defence missiles, stating, “Every brazen attack against ordinary life shows that the pressure on Russia is insufficient. Effective sanctions and assistance to Ukraine can change this.”
Meanwhile, President Zelensky has arrived in Türkiye for a new attempt to revive peace talks to end the nearly four-year-old conflict. However, the Kremlin swiftly dismissed the prospect of innovation in peace proposals, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov asserting there have been no new developments since the 2024 proposals and the Alaska summit.
