The number of victims of the latest Russian drone and missile attack on the Ukrainian city of Ternopil has risen to at least 19. Among the dead are also children, the Ukrainian Ministry of the Interior reported on Wednesday, TASR writes, according to a report by the AFP agency.
- At least 19 people, including children, were killed in the attack.
- The Russian attack hit the Ukrainian city of Ternopil.
- Zelenskyy discusses peace negotiations in Ankara, Turkey.
“As a result of a massive combined Russian attack on the city, 19 people were killed. Another 66 people were injured, including 16 children,” the ministry said on social media.
Massive attack
Russia sent more than 470 drones and 48 missiles to Ukraine on Wednesday night – just hours before Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi landed in Ankara, Turkey, where he wants to try to revive peace talks to end the Russian invasion.
Meanwhile, the Russian news agency TASS reported that Moscow was attacking defense and electrical facilities in western Ukraine in response to “terrorist attacks” by Kiev. At the same time, the spokesman of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Dmitry Peskov, said on Wednesday that the Russian armed forces are only attacking military and paramilitary targets in Ukraine.
Civilian casualties
“These are not military targets, but simply someone’s homes,” stressed Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha, referring to the attacks that hit Ternopil.
Zelenskyi previously reported that Moscow attacked Ukrainian infrastructure in the Ivano-Frankivsk and Lviv regions. However, according to published information, the Russian strikes also hit the cities of Kharkiv, Kyiv, Mykolaiv, Cherkasy, Chernihiv and Dnipro, where dozens of injuries are reported.
The number of victims may rise
Authorities in Ternopil warned that the death toll could rise. “Rescuers continue to evacuate people from barricaded apartments. There are people trapped under the rubble,” the rescue services said. Authorities there also reported high levels of chlorine in the air due to widespread fires and urged residents to stay indoors and close windows.
The Kremlin said that none of the Russian representatives will participate in the negotiations in Turkey. However, he added that he remains open to negotiations on a solution to the war in Ukraine, writes AFP.
Russian forces have been attacking Ukrainian territory daily for more than three and a half years, intensifying attacks on energy infrastructure as winter approaches. Ukraine responds with attacks on oil depots, refineries and other targets in Russia.
