Rescuers Search for Survivors in Ternopil After Deadly Russian Strike as NATO Scrambles Jets

Rescue teams worked through the night in the western Ukrainian city of Ternopil after a Russian strike on residential buildings killed at least 28 people and left dozens unaccounted for. Video shared by authorities showed search-and-rescue crews combing rubble and pulling survivors from collapsed apartments as officials warned the toll could rise.

Attack and casualties

Ukraine’s emergency service reported that 16 people remained missing after the strikes on two apartment blocks, while the president’s office put the number of people unaccounted for higher at 22. Officials said dozens were rescued and transported to hospitals; some local officials warned that entire families may have been wiped out in parts of the buildings.

What struck the buildings

The Ukrainian air force said the assault involved hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles. Analysts and military officials believe the Ternopil apartment blocks were likely hit by a Kh-101 cruise missile, a long-range precision weapon designed to evade air defenses.

Search and rescue

Emergency crews, engineers and volunteers worked across the site, using thermal cameras and sniffer dogs to search voids in the rubble. Relatives gathered nearby, anxiously waiting for news. A mother, Oksana Kobel, said her son Bohdan was home on the ninth floor when the explosions began; she called him and urged him to go to a shelter, and he replied, 'Mom, I am already up. Everything will be fine.'

Regional military response

The cross-border effects of the strikes prompted NATO allies to launch fighter jets to protect neighboring airspace. Romania deployed two Eurofighter jets and later two F-16s after a drone entered its airspace, and Polish and allied aircraft also scrambled to safeguard Polish skies.

Diplomatic and security developments

A senior U.S. defense delegation visited Kyiv for meetings with Ukrainian officials amid reports of international discussions about potential peace proposals that might include territorial and force-structure concessions. Poland’s foreign minister warned that any lasting settlement must involve Europe and must leave Ukraine able to defend itself.

Separately, the U.S. State Department approved a possible $105 million sale to help upgrade Ukraine’s Patriot air-defense systems to improve sustainment and frontline capabilities. Earlier in the week, Ukrainian leadership reached an agreement to acquire additional French-made Rafale fighters and air-defense equipment.

Ongoing situation: Search-and-rescue operations continue in Ternopil as authorities work to account for the missing and treat the wounded. Officials cautioned that casualty figures may change as teams clear more debris.