Russian air strikes kill 26 in devastating attack on Ukraine’s Ternopil

A devastating Russian aerial battle connected Ternopil successful occidental Ukraine has killed astatine slightest 26 radical and wounded dozens more, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko has confirmed.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said connected Thursday that 22 radical were inactive missing astatine the tract of Wednesday’s Russian onslaught connected Ternopil. Russia unleashed 476 drones and 48 missiles crossed Ukraine, striking captious vigor and proscription infrastructure and forcing exigency powerfulness cut-offs during freezing weather.

In Ternopil, the onslaught obliterated the precocious floors of a residential building. Smoke billowed from the operation arsenic firefighters battled the blaze portion distraught residents gathered below, anxiously awaiting connection astir missing loved ones.

Klymenko reported via Telegram that exigency crews worked passim the nighttime searching done the collapsed structure. “A batch of enactment lies ahead. The main happening is to find those who could inactive beryllium nether the rubble,” helium wrote.

“In the gathering wherever 2 entrances were wholly burned out, not a azygous level was near intact. The flames flared up instantly and engulfed the gathering successful a wave. People were terrified and tried to leap retired of windows.”

Authorities confirmed 3 children were among those killed.

Oksana Kobel remained hopeful astir her son, who had been successful a ninth-floor level during the strike. “I went to work, heard the explosions. I called him and said ‘Bohdan, spell to the shelter, get dressed.’ He answered ‘Mum, I americium already up, everything volition beryllium fine’,” she recalled.

Poland, a NATO subordinate sharing a borderline with occidental Ukraine, temporarily shuttered Rzeszow and Lublin airports successful its southeast and deployed craft to support its airspace.

The bombardment coincided with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s sojourn to Turkiye aimed astatine reviving bid talks with Russia pursuing his European diplomatic mission.

The onslaught damaged vigor infrastructure crossed 7 Ukrainian regions, prompting nationwide restrictions connected powerfulness consumption.

Russia, which denies intentionally targeting civilians, claimed the aerial strikes were successful effect to “terrorist attacks” connected Russian territory, alleging Ukrainian forces fired 4 United States-made ATACMS missiles astatine Voronezh successful confederate Russia.

Ukraine’s subject confirmed connected Tuesday that it had targeted Russian subject installations with these missiles.