Deadly Russian Strikes Hit Western Ukraine, Killing 25
A devastating Russian attack on the western Ukrainian city of Ternopil has claimed at least 25 lives, including three children, in what is being described as one of the deadliest strikes on western Ukraine since the full-scale invasion began in 2022. Ukrainian rescue officials reported that two apartment blocks were hit by a combination of missiles and drones, leaving 73 others injured, 15 of them children. Social media footage and images showed buildings partially collapsed, cars ablaze, and thick plumes of smoke rising above the city.
Ternopil, located closer to the Polish border than Kyiv, had rarely been targeted until now. Videos shared online depicted missiles streaking across the sky, while the city’s air defenses appeared unable to intercept every incoming threat. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the damage as “significant” and warned that many victims remained trapped under the rubble. Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko confirmed that one of the residential blocks had collapsed from the third to the ninth floor.
Also Read:- The Simpsons Officially Bids Farewell to Beloved Organist Alice Glick
- South Carolina Bill Could Jail People Who Seek Abortions
The attack was part of a broader wave of Russian strikes across Ukraine. Lviv and Ivano-Frankivsk in the west were also targeted, with energy facilities and transport infrastructure damaged. In Kharkiv, three districts were hit by drone strikes, injuring more than 30 people and damaging multiple buildings, including schools, apartments, and a supermarket. Ukraine’s air force said that it had shot down the majority of Russian drones and missiles—442 of 476 drones and 41 of 48 missiles—but the scale of attacks has stretched air defenses thin, leaving some targets vulnerable.
The strikes coincided with President Zelensky’s visit to Ankara, Turkey, where he aimed to revive diplomatic efforts to end the war. Russia claimed the attacks were a response to Ukrainian missile strikes on its territory, asserting that its targets included military and energy infrastructure. Ukraine, meanwhile, admitted to firing U.S.-supplied ATACMS missiles at military targets inside Russia, marking the first acknowledged use of these long-range missiles on Russian soil. Russia reported that all ATACMS were intercepted, though falling debris caused minor property damage.
The attacks have further intensified power shortages, as energy facilities in multiple regions were damaged. Ukraine’s energy ministry warned of additional power cuts across the country. Neighboring countries responded to the threat as well: Poland temporarily closed airports in the southeast, while Romanian and German air forces scrambled jets to intercept a Russian drone that had briefly crossed Romanian airspace.
As Ukraine approaches the fourth anniversary of the Russian invasion, Moscow and Kyiv remain deeply opposed on the terms of ending the conflict. Western allies continue to provide military aid, but Ukraine’s officials insist that more air defense systems are urgently needed to protect civilians from increasingly frequent missile and drone strikes. The human cost of the latest attacks underscores the ongoing peril faced by cities far from the frontline, as Ternopil has tragically shown.
Read More:
0 Comments