Rescue teams still searching for 22 missing in Ternopil after Russian strike
Rescue teams worked through the night in Ternopil searching for 22 missing people after Russia's missile and drone attack on the western Ukrainian city the previous day, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
More than 230 rescuers from nine regions are involved in the search-and-rescue operations, which continue amid challenging conditions.
"In some areas, work can only be done by hand because of the severe destruction and fragmentation of the structures. This complicates the search," Zelenskyy said.
The death toll stands at 26, including three children, with 93 others injured, among them 18 children.
A makeshift memorial with flowers and personal items has appeared near the struck building, the We Are Ukraine news outlet reported. Ternopil is observing three days of mourning on November 19-21.
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View in Telegram.Russian forces struck Ternopil around 7 a.m. on Wednesday with strike drones and missiles, hitting two residential high-rises on Vasyla Stus and 15 Kvitnia streets, sparking fires and causing significant damage.
Operational headquarters were set up at the two hardest-hit sites, where victims and those searching for relatives can report missing persons and submit DNA samples for identification through the National Police's mobile forensic lab.
Industrial and critical infrastructure sites also sustained damage, with the full extent still under assessment.
Air chlorine levels in the city are six times above normal following the strike, prompting authorities to urge residents to stay indoors and seal windows when possible.