On the night of November 18-19, Russia carried out a massive attack using 524 drones and missiles, killing at least 20 people in Ternopil and injuring dozens of residents of western Ukraine. Emergency services are still trying to free people trapped under the rubble.
The dust has not yet settled and the death toll is already terrifying. Rescuers are still struggling with the enormity of the destruction and time pressure.
Ukraine is once again paying a high price for Russian terror.
In Western Ukrainian Ternopil until 1:18 p.m [12:18 czasu polskiego] 20 people were confirmed dead and another 66 injured, the Ukrainian emergency services reported, summarizing the night attack from Tuesday to Wednesday.
“Russia has again attacked peaceful and civilian cities in Ukraine — deliberately targeting residential buildings, schools and key infrastructure.
Their goal remains unchanged: more civilian casualties, more destruction, more suffering
– wrote Minister of Internal Affairs Ihor Klymenko on Telegram.
Klymenko said that the Russian attack covered the Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk and Ternopil oblasts. Approximately 500 rescuers work in nine different locations.
“The worst situation is in Tarnopol. Two nine-story buildings were hit. One burst into flames, the other one destroyed the floors from the third to the ninth floor. Currently, the losses include 10 dead and 37 injured, including 12 children,” he said.
Rescuers evacuated residents from blocked apartments throughout Wednesday morning and afternoon; There are still people trapped under the rubble.
“We are working with the utmost caution – every minute could mean a life saved,” Klymenko wrote.
In the report of the State Service for Emergency Situations (DSNS) from 1:18 p.m [12:18 czasu polskiego] rescuers confirmed that the death toll had risen to 20, including two children.
Western Ukraine under fire
Three people were injured in the Ivano-Frankivsk region, including two children.
In the Lviv region, firefighters are fighting fires in several warehouses with a total area of over 10,000 m2. sq m – all are civilian facilities.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said on Telegram that she held an online meeting with Klymenko and the heads of the affected regions to assess the effects of the attack and coordinate further actions.
“Russia continues its terror against our nation and our cities. This time the western regions of the country have come under fire,” she wrote, expressing condolences to the families of the victims of Ternopil.
Earlier reports
According to the national police, by 12:00 [11:00 czasu polskiego] 16 people were confirmed dead. In addition, 64 people were injured, including 14 children.
The mayor of Ternopil, Serhiy Nadal, reported earlier on television that Russian missiles hit an industrial facility and directly hit two residential buildings – one with 104 apartments, the other with 51.
Both buildings were severely damaged and the rescue operation is still ongoing.
People are still being pulled out of burning apartments, from basements and from roofs. Everyone receives the necessary medical assistance
– he declared.
Initial reports indicate that a residential building was hit one of the most important for Russians Kh-101 cruise missile, said Yuri Ihnat, head of the communications department of the Air Force Command.
— Initially, it can be concluded that the building was hit by a Ch-101 missile. Final information will be confirmed on site, he said in an interview with Kyiv24.
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Balance of the night attack
The Ukrainian Air Force reported that from 6 p.m [17:00 polskiego czasu] On November 18, Russia launched a large-scale coordinated attack on key infrastructure, using drones and air- and ground-launched missiles.
In total, radio engineering units detected and tracked 524 air missiles — 48 missiles and 476 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), including:
476 unmanned aerial vehicles of the Shahid/Gerbera type, including approximately 300 Shahids,
40 Kh-101 cruise missiles,
7 Kalibr cruise missiles,
1 Iskander-M ballistic missile.
The main directions of the attack are the Lviv, Ternopil and Kharkiv oblasts.
Air defense units – including aviation, missile systems, electronic warfare, drone troops and mobile fire groups – they repelled the attack all night long.
Until 10:00 [9:00 czasu polskiego] managed to shoot down or neutralize 483 targets: 442 Shahid/Gerbera drones, 34 Kh-101 missiles and 7 Kalibr missiles.
Seven rockets and 34 drones hit 14 locations, and shrapnel from the downed UAVs fell on another six locations.
I’m Ashley Davis as an editor, I’m committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity and accuracy in every piece we publish. My work is driven by curiosity, a passion for truth, and a belief that journalism plays a crucial role in shaping public discourse. I strive to tell stories that not only inform but also inspire action and conversation.
