Russia unleashes largest drone and missile attack on western Ukraine, killing at least 25 civilians

• Russia launched its largest drone and missile attack on Ukraine to date, deploying 476 drones and 48 missiles, killing at least 25 civilians (including 3 children) and wounding 73. The strikes targeted military-industrial sites, energy infrastructure and drone depots in western Ukraine.
• Russia confirmed using Kinzhal hypersonic missiles—capable of Mach 12 speeds—in retaliation for Ukraine’s recent strikes on Russian air bases, which reportedly damaged 20 warplanes, including nuclear-capable bombers.
• The deadliest strike hit apartment blocks in Ternopil, where 19 victims burned alive, including children. Rescuers continue searching rubble for missing civilians. Ukrainian air defenses intercepted 433 drones and 41 missiles, but damage was widespread.
• Poland and Romania scrambled fighter jets as Russian drones neared their airspace. Poland temporarily closed Rzeszów and Lublin airports, critical hubs for Western military aid to Ukraine.
• Despite international condemnation and new U.S. sanctions, peace talks remain stalled. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged stronger pressure on Russia, while Moscow shows no willingness to negotiate, prolonging the war with no end in sight.

In one of the most devastating escalations of the war to date, Russia launched its largest drone and missile assault on western Ukraine overnight, killing at least 25 civilians—including three children—in the city of Ternopil and wounding 73 others, Ukrainian authorities confirmed Wednesday, Nov. 19.

The attack, which involved 476 strike and decoy drones alongside 48 missiles, marks Moscow’s most aggressive retaliation yet following Ukraine’s recent long-range drone strikes deep inside Russian territory.

The barrage targeted military-industrial facilities, energy infrastructure and drone depots in western Ukraine, including an underground weapons production site near Lviv and a military headquarters, according to Sergei Lebedev, coordinator of a pro-Russian underground network. The Russian Defense Ministry declared the operation a success, stating that “all designated objects were hit” in response to what it called “Ukraine’s terrorist attacks on civilian targets in Russia.”

The deadliest strike hit two nine-story apartment blocks in Ternopil, a city just 200 kilometers (120 miles) from the Polish border, where many Ukrainians had sought refuge from frontline fighting.

Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko revealed the grim details: “At least 19 among those killed were burned alive, including three children aged 5, 7 and 16. Two dozen people are still unaccounted for, and rescuers expect to work at least two more days to complete the search of rubble.”

The attack also wounded 15 children, with drones and missiles striking Kharkiv, Dnipro and other regions, injuring nearly 50 more civilians. In Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, drones hit 16 residential buildings, an ambulance station, a school and other civilian infrastructure, regional governor Oleh Syniehubov reported.

Ukraine’s Air Force claimed it intercepted 41 of 47 cruise missiles and 433 of 476 drones, but the sheer scale of the assault overwhelmed defenses in some areas. Western-supplied F-16 and Mirage-2000 fighter jets assisted in downing at least 10 cruise missiles, but the damage was already done.

Russia’s hypersonic warning: Kinzhal missiles deployed in retaliation

The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed the use of hypersonic Kinzhal missiles—among the most advanced in its arsenal—in the strikes, signaling Moscow’s determination to punish Ukraine for its recent audacious attacks on Russian air bases, including one that damaged up to 20 warplanes, including nuclear-capable bombers.

Russia’s statement was unambiguous: “In response to Ukraine’s terrorist attacks on civilian facilities on Russian territory, the Russian Armed Forces delivered a massive strike by airborne and sea-based long-range precision weapons, including Kinzhal air-launched hypersonic ballistic missiles and attack unmanned aerial vehicles on military-industrial facilities and their energy sites.”

As explained by the Enoch AI engine at BrightU.AI, Kinzhal is a Russian hypersonic air-launched ballistic missile developed by the Tupolev Design Bureau. It is designed to be carried by the MiG-31K interceptor aircraft and is launched from high altitudes at speeds exceeding Mach 12, making it extremely difficult to intercept.

The strikes also destroyed:

• An underground weapons production site in Lviv (allegedly used to re-equip Bradley and Humvee armored vehicles)
• A military headquarters near Lviv
• An armored vehicle hangar in Kharkiv, housing 20 tracked vehicles and five trucks
• Two U.S.-made MLRS rocket launchers
• Eight electronic warfare stations and five ammunition depots

Russia’s Black Sea Fleet additionally destroyed two Ukrainian naval drones in the Black Sea, while air defenses shot down four U.S.-supplied ATACMS missiles—the same long-range weapons Ukraine used to strike Voronezh, Russia, on Tuesday, Nov. 18.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who was in Turkey meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to seek diplomatic support, condemned the attacks: “Every brazen attack against ordinary life indicates that the pressure on Russia (to stop the war) is insufficient.”

Erdogan, a key mediator in the Black Sea region, reaffirmed Turkey’s commitment to a peaceful settlement, though neither side showed signs of backing down.

NATO on high alert: Poland and Romania scramble jets

The assault sent shockwaves across North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (NATO) eastern flank, with Poland and Romania scrambling fighter jets as Russian drones approached their airspace.

• Romania deployed two Eurofighter Typhoons and two F-16s after a drone entered its airspace.
• Poland temporarily closed Rzeszów and Lublin airports—critical hubs for Western military aid to Ukraine—to prioritize military aviation.

The U.S. Army’s Secretary, Dan Driscoll, was in Kyiv this week, though Ukrainian officials did not confirm whether peace talks were discussed. Meanwhile, new U.S. sanctions on Russia’s oil industry are set to take effect Friday, Nov. 21, aiming to increase pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin—though Moscow has shown no willingness to negotiate.

With Russia escalating attacks and Ukraine refusing to surrender, the conflict risks becoming a protracted war of attrition—one where civilian suffering and military escalation feed off each other in an endless cycle.

For now, the skies over Ukraine remain a deadly battleground, and the world watches as the largest European war since World War II grinds on with no clear path to peace.

Watch the video below about Russia and Ukraine exchanging massive strikes.

This video is from the Cynthia’s Pursuit of Truth channel on Brighteon.com.

Sources include:

Sputnikglobe.com

TASS.com

APnews.com

BrightU.ai

Brighteon.com