Russian attack on Ukraine leaves 25 dead in Ternopil after massive overnight strikes

A large-scale Russian drone and missile attack on Ukraine rocked the western city of Ternopil Tuesday night, killing more than two dozen people, including three children.

Ukraine’s Ministry of Internal Affairs said Wednesday that at least 25 people were killed and 73 injured in the strike that hit two nine-story residential buildings.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia launched more than 470 drones and 48 missiles in the overnight assault. Emergency services were working to rescue people under the rubble and put out fires caused by the strikes. 

Photos from the scene showed blown-out windows, the charred, blackened exterior of a residential building and smoke billowing as crews worked to clear the area.

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A Russian Kh-101 missile flies toward and hits a civilian apartment building in Ternopil, Ukraine, during a deadly strike on Nov. 18, 2025. (East2West)

Zelenskyy said nine other regions across Ukraine were also struck, including critical infrastructure and energy facilities in Lviv and civilian infrastructure in Kharkiv.

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People look at a residential building heavily damaged after a Russian strike on Ternopil, Ukraine, on Nov. 19, 2025. (Vlad Kravchuk/AP)

“Every brazen attack against ordinary life proves that the pressure on Russia is still insufficient. Effective sanctions and assistance for Ukraine can change this. The top priority is air defense missiles, additional systems, expanded capabilities for our combat aviation, and drone production to protect lives,” he wrote on X.

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“Russia must be held accountable for its actions, and we must stay focused on everything that strengthens us and enables us to shoot down Russian missiles, neutralize Russian drones, and stop assaults.”

Rescue workers put out a fire at a residential building damaged by a Russian strike on Ternopil, Ukraine, on Nov. 19, 2025. (Rostyslav Kovalchuk/AP)

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Poland’s Operational Command said late Tuesday it had scrambled fighter jets and raised air defense readiness after Russia launched the missile and drone strikes against Ukraine, stressing the measures were preventive and aimed at protecting Polish airspace near the border.