Ukraine: Nineteen people lost their lives in a major overnight Russian assault on Ukraine, as missiles and drones struck multiple regions, including an apartment building in the western city of Ternopil, Ukrainian officials said on Wednesday.
At least 66 others were injured in the widespread strikes that targeted energy and transport infrastructure, triggering emergency power outages during freezing weather conditions.
The top floors of the residential block in Ternopil were ripped apart in the blast. Thick black smoke rose above the skyline, and an orange firelight flickered through the haze as emergency crews battled the blaze.
Officials said Russia launched more than 470 drones and 48 missiles in the attack. The strike also prompted Poland—Ukraine’s western neighbour and a NATO member—to temporarily shut Rzeszow and Lublin airports. Polish and allied aircraft were scrambled as a precaution to secure its airspace.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who is scheduled to visit Turkey to discuss efforts to revive peace talks, confirmed that multi-storey residential buildings had been hit and warned that more people might still be trapped under debris.
Calling for increased global support, Zelenskiy said Ukraine urgently needs additional air-defence missiles and tougher sanctions on Moscow.
“Every brazen attack against ordinary life shows that the pressure on Russia is insufficient,” he wrote on X, urging allies to step up assistance.
Energy authorities reported strikes on power infrastructure across seven regions. Explosions were heard in Lviv, while Kyiv residents sought shelter in metro stations on Wednesday morning. The overall damage assessment is still under way, but nationwide electricity restrictions have already been imposed to stabilise the grid.
