TERNOPIL, Ukraine (BN24) — A devastating Russian missile and drone attack on the city of Ternopil, in western Ukraine, killed at least 25 people and left more than 80 others wounded, Ukrainian officials confirmed on Wednesday, November 19, 2025. The attack, which targeted residential buildings overnight, also left dozens missing, with hopes fading for their survival.
The assault, which saw the launch of 476 drones and 48 missiles across Ukraine, struck several cities, including Ternopil, a regional hub in the west. Energy and transportation infrastructure were targeted, causing widespread power outages amid freezing temperatures. This forced emergency power cuts in many regions, as millions of Ukrainians endured the cold without electricity.
The attack in Ternopil destroyed the upper floors of an apartment building. Firefighters worked tirelessly to control the flames, while plumes of thick smoke rose into the sky. Residents stood outside the devastated building, anxiously waiting for news of loved ones still trapped inside.
“From the ninth to the first floor, this fiery lava engulfed our people. They didn’t have time to escape from their flats because everything was on fire,” said Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko in televised comments.
Three children were among the victims, and officials warned the death toll could rise as the search for survivors continues. At least 25 people remain unaccounted for, and fears are mounting that the true toll could be even higher.
Oksana Kobel, whose son Bohdan was living on the ninth floor of the apartment building at the time of the strike, held out hope that he would be found alive. “I went to work, heard the explosions. I called him and said, ‘Bohdan, go to the shelter, get dressed.’ He answered ‘Mom, I am already up, everything will be fine,’” she recalled tearfully.
The attack prompted a temporary closure of airports in Poland, a NATO member country to the west of Ukraine, as a precautionary measure. Both Rzeszów and Lublin airports in southeastern Poland were briefly shut down, and Polish and allied aircraft were scrambled to safeguard the country’s airspace.
Russian airstrikes were launched as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy was in Turkey for peace talks aimed at reviving negotiations with Russia. Zelenskiy, who had just completed a diplomatic tour of European capitals, condemned the attack as an example of Russia’s ongoing assault on Ukraine’s civilian population. “Every brazen attack against ordinary life shows that the pressure on Russia is insufficient. Effective sanctions and assistance to Ukraine can change this,” Zelenskiy wrote on social media platform X.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha vowed to bring Russia’s actions before the United Nations Security Council. “Ukraine will bring Russia’s horrific murder to the spotlight of tomorrow’s UN Security Council meeting,” Sybiha stated, urging the international community to take stronger action against Russia.
In addition to the casualties in Ternopil, energy infrastructure was severely damaged in seven Ukrainian regions, leaving millions without power and prompting authorities to implement power restrictions. In the western city of Lviv, a Reuters witness reported hearing multiple explosions, while the northwestern city of Kharkiv also came under fire. The capital, Kyiv, was not spared either, with residents in the metro stations seeking shelter as air raid sirens blared.
Russian authorities, who continue to deny deliberately targeting civilians, said the airstrikes were in retaliation for “terrorist attacks” allegedly committed by Ukrainian forces. Russia claimed Ukrainian forces had launched U.S.-made ATACMS missiles at the southern Russian city of Voronezh, though no independent verification of this claim has been made.
The November 18 attack is the latest in a series of deadly airstrikes by Russia on Ukrainian civilian areas, as the war between the two nations enters its fourth year. Despite international condemnation and sanctions, Russia’s missile and drone strikes on Ukraine show little sign of abating, with Ukrainian officials warning that the worst may still be ahead as winter weather sets in.
