Russian Missile Strike in Ternopil Kills 25, Including Children

A Russian missile and drone assault on the western Ukrainian city of Ternopil has resulted in the deaths of at least 25 individuals, including three children, according to Ukrainian authorities. The attack, which occurred overnight, targeted two nine-story apartment buildings, leaving 73 people injured, among them 15 children. Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko reported that 19 of the deceased were burned alive, and 24 individuals remain unaccounted for. Rescue operations are expected to continue for at least two more days.

The Ukrainian Air Force stated that Russia launched 476 strike and decoy drones, along with 48 missiles of various types, during the assault. Air defenses intercepted all but six of the 47 cruise missiles fired. Western-supplied F-16 and Mirage-2000 jets intercepted at least 10 cruise missiles.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who traveled to Turkey seeking diplomatic support, commented on the attack, stating that each assault on civilian life indicates insufficient pressure on Russia to halt the war.

In response to the attacks, neighboring NATO members Romania and Poland scrambled fighter jets when a drone entered Romanian airspace. Poland temporarily closed Rzeszów and Lublin airports to prioritize military aviation.

In northeastern Kharkiv, Russian drone strikes injured 46 people, including two girls. The attacks damaged residential buildings, an ambulance station, a school, and other civilian infrastructure.

Russia's Defense Ministry claimed that Ukraine fired four American-supplied ATACMS missiles at the Russian city of Voronezh, all of which were intercepted. Debris from the missiles reportedly damaged a private house, an orphanage, and a gerontology center, with no casualties reported.

Ukrainian authorities have not commented on the alleged missile strikes on Voronezh.