Ternopil, Ukraine – A night of unprecedented aerial assault has left the western Ukrainian city of Ternopil in ruins. Overnight, Russian forces unleashed a barrage of over 470 attack drones and 48 missiles, marking one of the deadliest attacks of 2025. The relentless strikes, occurring just after midnight, targeted residential areas, resulting in at least 25 fatalities and 73 injuries, according to Ukraine’s Ministry of Internal Affairs. Among the casualties were three children.
Emergency services faced a monumental task, with rescue operations commencing immediately and continuing throughout the morning. Specialized units, including robotic systems, were deployed to navigate the debris and search for survivors amidst collapsed buildings. The fires ignited by the strikes raged for hours, consuming nine-storey apartment complexes.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the scale of the attack, describing it as a widespread offensive across multiple Ukrainian regions. He noted the deployment of ballistic and cruise missiles launched in coordinated waves. Ternopil, he stated, bore the brunt of the destruction, with many still believed to be trapped beneath rubble. Other regions, including Kharkiv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv, Donetsk, Kyiv, Chernihiv, Mykolaiv, Cherkasy, and Dnipro, also suffered significant damage to infrastructure and civilian areas.
President Zelenskyy reiterated Ukraine’s urgent need for advanced air defense systems, combat aircraft, and increased drone production to mitigate future attacks. He stressed the importance of international accountability for Russia’s continued aggression, now in its fourth year. In parallel, Ukraine highlighted recent security and economic support pledges totaling over EUR 515 million from Greece, France, and Spain. These commitments include gas supply guarantees, defense equipment like Rafale F4 aircraft and SAMP/T systems, advanced radar, and substantial financial aid for air defense and energy sectors.