A series of Russian drone and missile strikes on western Ukraine have left at least 25 people dead, including three children, and injured 73 others, Ukrainian officials reported. The attack on Ternopil struck two residential blocks, marking one of the deadliest assaults on western Ukraine since the February 2022 invasion.
Additional strikes targeted the Lviv and Ivano-Frankivsk regions, while Kharkiv endured drone attacks affecting three districts and wounding over 30 people. Widespread damage to energy, transport, and civil infrastructure was reported, accompanied by power outages across multiple regions.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Russia launched over 470 drones and 47 missiles, causing “significant destruction” and raising concerns that victims might be trapped beneath the rubble in Ternopil. Video footage revealed one of the two blocks had collapsed between the third and ninth floors, with smoke and fires visible across the site.
The strikes follow Ukraine’s acknowledgment of using US-supplied ATACMS missiles against Russian targets, the first confirmed instance of the system striking Russian soil. Russia claimed to have intercepted the missiles targeting Voronezh.
In parallel, President Zelensky is set to visit Ankara to pursue a US-backed peace initiative, holding discussions with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, while Kremlin officials confirmed they would not participate in these talks. The escalation coincides with preparations for the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion next February.
Elsewhere, Romanian authorities reported a Russian drone violated their airspace before returning to Ukraine and Moldova, prompting military responses from Romania, Germany, and Poland, including temporary airport closures and jet deployments.
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