Rescue efforts enter third day in Ternopil after Russian strike kills at least 28
Rescue crews in the western Ukrainian city of Ternopil are for the third day sifting through the wreckage of two apartment buildings struck by Russian missiles, with the death toll now at 28, the State Emergency Service reported on Friday.
The fate of 16 people remains unknown, as search teams from across the country comb the site without establishing contact. More than 180 rescuers are involved.
The confirmed dead include three children; 94 others were injured, 18 of them minors. Rescuers have pulled 46 survivors from the debris, including seven children.
Crews are manually inspecting every inch of the destroyed fifth- and sixth-floor sections, using hands, tools and heavy equipment. By Friday morning, they had removed about 638 tons of rubble.
What is known about the attack?
Russian forces targeted the high-rises on Vasyl Stus and 15 Kvitnia streets around 7 a.m. on November 19 with strike drones and missiles, igniting fires and causing partial collapses.
Field headquarters are operating at the two worst-hit sites, where victims and families can report missing loved ones and submit DNA samples for identification via the National Police's mobile forensic lab.
Industrial and critical infrastructure also sustained damage, with the full scope still under assessment.
Air chlorine levels in the city were six times above normal after the strike, prompting calls for residents to stay indoors and seal windows when possible.
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