Russian Barrage on Ternopil Kills 25 in Western Ukraine
S Arefin 
Russian missile strike hits Ternopil city
At least 25 people have been killed in a Russian missile and drone attack on the western Ukrainian city of Ternopil.
Ukrainian officials say two apartment blocks were hit in an overnight barrage, making it one of the deadliest strikes in the region since the full-scale invasion began in 2022.
Emergency services reported that three children were among the dead, and dozens of residents remain unaccounted for.
The attack came as temperatures in western Ukraine dropped below freezing.
Rescue teams worked through the night, pulling survivors from collapsed upper floors that were ripped away by the explosions.
Ternopil apartment blocks reduced to ruins
Local authorities say the missiles tore through the top of a high-rise residential building, sending fire and debris down through the stairwells.
Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko compared the scene to “fiery lava” engulfing residents before they could escape.
Many of those killed were asleep when the strike hit shortly after midnight.
Families waited outside in winter coats and blankets, hoping for news about relatives still trapped under the rubble.
Drone and missile wave hits wider Ukraine
The strike on Ternopil was part of a much larger overnight assault.
Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched 476 drones and 48 missiles of several types against targets across the country, including power stations and transport hubs.
Most incoming weapons were intercepted, however several cruise missiles and drones got through, causing damage in multiple regions.
As a result, emergency blackouts were introduced in several oblasts to protect the fragile power grid.
Officials warned that repeated attacks could leave communities without heat and electricity during the coldest months of the year.
NATO neighbours scramble jets near Ternopil
The barrage also raised tensions along NATO’s eastern flank.
Poland temporarily closed two southeastern airports and scrambled fighter jets after Russian drones approached its airspace, while Romania sent Typhoon and F-16 jets to investigate another drone incursion.
No strikes were recorded on NATO territory, but the incidents renewed concern about spillover from the war.
Leaders in Warsaw and Bucharest again called for stronger air-defence coordination with Ukraine and other allies.
Zelenskyy in Turkey as diplomacy continues
The attack coincided with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to Ankara, where he met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Zelenskyy said he was seeking more diplomatic pressure on Moscow and additional air-defence systems to shield Ukrainian cities.
He argued that the scale of the Ternopil strike showed current pressure on Russia is still “insufficient”.
Turkey, meanwhile, is trying to keep dialogue open with both Kyiv and Moscow, hoping to revive talks on grain exports and wider peace efforts.
Civilian toll deepens calls for accountability
Human rights groups and UN officials condemned the attack, noting that the main targets were clearly residential buildings far from the front line.
Under international humanitarian law, deliberate or reckless attacks on civilians can constitute war crimes.
Russia insists it aimed at military and energy infrastructure and denies intentionally striking civilians.
However, the rising death toll in Ternopil and other cities is likely to intensify demands for investigations and stronger sanctions as the war approaches its fourth year.
Image: AP
About The Author
Sultanul Arefin 
Suzan Seherin 
