KYIV, Ukraine (AP) – A significant Russian drone and missile attack resulted in the deaths of at least 10 individuals and left dozens more injured in Ukraine overnight, as officials announced on Wednesday. This assault coincided with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's anticipated visit to Turkey for discussions aimed at finding a resolution to the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The nighttime strikes specifically targeted two nine-story apartment buildings in Ternopil, a city located in western Ukraine. Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko provided details, stating that emergency crews worked throughout the daylight hours to sift through the rubble in hopes of locating survivors. As of the latest reports, at least 37 people were reported injured, including 12 children.
In the overnight operation, Russia launched a total of 476 strike and decoy drones, along with 48 missiles of varying types, according to statements made by Ukraine's air force. President Zelenskyy condemned the attack, expressing on the messaging app Telegram that "Every brazen attack against ordinary life indicates that the pressure on Russia to stop the war is insufficient."
President Zelenskyy was set to meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan later that day to further his efforts to diplomatically isolate Russian President Vladimir Putin and intensify international pressure against him. "Foremost, we will discuss maximum capabilities to ensure that Ukraine achieves a just peace," he noted about the discussions with Erdogan, emphasizing their "good relations."
Zelenskyy also indicated that he was observing some positions and signals from the United States, stating, "Well, let’s see tomorrow.” He did not provide specific details, but imminent tough American sanctions targeting Russia's oil industry, aimed at compelling Putin to negotiate, are scheduled to take effect on Friday.
In the lead-up to Zelenskyy’s discussions in Turkey, a senior Turkish official initially mentioned that U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff would join him, but later retracted this statement, confirming that Witkoff would not be attending.
Ternopil, the city that suffered the recent strikes, is located approximately 200 kilometers (120 miles) from the Polish border. It has previously been regarded as a relatively peaceful area of western Ukraine where many displaced individuals from eastern and southern regions have sought refuge from the ongoing conflict.
Reports also indicated that nearly 50 individuals were injured due to Russian strikes across three other Ukrainian regions during the same night. In a notable response, two Eurofighter Typhoon jets and two F-16s were deployed in Romania when a drone breached NATO airspace during the Russian assaults. The Romanian Ministry of National Defense confirmed these preventative measures.
The Polish military took similar actions by deploying Polish and allied aircraft overnight and temporarily closing Rzeszów and Lublin airports to prioritize military aviation operations, as reported by Poland’s Air Navigation Services Agency.
In Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city lying in the northeast, drone strikes resulted in 46 injuries, including two young girls. The regional military administration head, Oleh Syniehubov, relayed on Telegram that drones struck various districts in the city, damaging at least 16 residential buildings, along with an ambulance station, school, and other civilian facilities.
In a separate development, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that Ukraine had launched four American-supplied ATACMS missiles at the Russian city of Voronezh the previous day, with all missiles reportedly intercepted. However, the debris caused damage to an orphanage and a gerontology center, though no casualties were reported.
As ongoing military actions continue, the Ukrainian General Staff reported on Tuesday that they had utilized ATACMS missiles against Russian targets, though details surrounding this claim were not elaborated upon.
