Ukrainian city devastated by massive Russian attack that kills dozens, including children
Ternopil, Ukraine - A Russian strike on Ukraine's western city of Ternopil killed at least 25 people, including three children, casting doubt on President Volodymyr Zelensky's attempts to "reinvigorate" the peace process.
The early morning strike was the deadliest attack on Ukraine for weeks and one of the worst on the west of the country, hundreds of miles from the front, since Moscow invaded in 2022.
Rescuers pulled bodies from the wreckage throughout the morning after an attack that added to questions about what Zelensky could achieve on a trip to Turkey for talks, with US envoy Steve Witkoff's presence also in doubt.
Images released by officials showed several floors of a high-rise residential building blown apart, with rescue workers going through blown-out windows.
"Twenty-five people, including three children, were killed as a result of Russian shelling of the city. Another 73 people, including 15 children, were wounded," Ukraine's interior ministry said on social media, updating earlier tolls.
City streets were covered with debris and parts of the city engulfed in thick grey smoke after explosions were reported around 7:00 AM local time.
Ternopil officials also reported the large fires had caused chlorine levels in the air to spike to six times the norm, and called on the city's 200,000 residents to stay home and close their windows.
"This is how Russia's 'peace plans' look like in reality," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga said.
In Moscow, the Kremlin declined to comment on a report by Axios that it had been working on a secret peace plan with the US to end the almost four-year-long war.
The strike comes as Russia batters Ukraine's energy grid ahead of the winter, and with Ukraine's stretched troops under pressure on the front line.
Witkoff reportedly calls off Turkey trip
Russia's overnight attacks also wounded at least 46 people in the northeastern region of Kharkiv, and targeted other areas of western Ukraine.
Neighboring Romania scrambled fighter jets as it reported a Russian drone had crossed into its airspace, while Moldova also said its airspace was breached at night.
Ahead of his talks in Turkey, where he is set to meet President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Zelensky repeated his calls for Ukraine's Western backers to do more to get Russia to end the war.
"Every brazen attack against ordinary life shows that the pressure on Russia is insufficient," he said.
A day earlier he said the trip to Ankara would "reinvigorate" frozen peace talks.
A senior Ukrainian official told AFP the "main goal is for the Americans to re-engage" in peace efforts.
Kyiv hopes Washington will be able to push Russia to the negotiating table, including by imposing sanctions, the official said. But media reports claimed US envoy Witkoff had cancelled a planned trip to join.
Cover photo: REUTERS