Deadly Russian strikes kill 25+ in Ternopil, hitting homes amid massive barrage. Greek-Catholic leader Teodor Martynyuk urges global prayers as Church aids victims in freezing conditions.
Newsroom (20/11/2025 Gaudium Press ) A devastating Russian missile and drone barrage struck western Ukraine overnight November 18-19, killing at least 25 people — including three children — and wounding dozens in the city of Ternopil, Ukrainian authorities reported Wednesday.
The assault, one of the largest in recent months, involved more than 470 drones and 48 missiles targeting multiple regions, including Kharkiv, Lviv, and Ivano-Frankivsk. In Ternopil, explosions began around 6:30 a.m. local time, with strikes demolishing parts of two nine-story residential buildings and damaging industrial sites and warehouses.
By afternoon, the death toll in Ternopil stood at 25, with 73 injured, including 15 minors, according to regional officials. Rescue operations continued amid sub-zero temperatures, with emergency services clearing rubble and searching for survivors. Elevated chlorine levels in the air — six times above normal — prompted health warnings, while widespread power outages left hundreds of thousands without electricity or heating.
Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Archbishop Teodor Martynyuk, Metropolitan of Ternopil-Zboriv, rushed to the impact site with priests to pray for the dead and comfort grieving families.
In an interview with Vatican News on Wednesday, the archbishop described the Greek-Catholic Church’s rapid response. “The priests of the eparchy, especially the chaplains, are providing assistance to the wounded who have been taken to the hospital,” he said. Caritas Ternopil established an on-site humanitarian aid center, with another set up at a nearby parish. Church facilities, including the Marian shrine in Zarvanytsia — a refuge for displaced persons since the war began — opened to shelter the homeless.
“We are providing the necessary assistance so that people have a place to warm up and something to eat, especially since this morning it was three degrees below zero,” Archbishop Martynyuk added. “We unite in prayer for the victims and we give thanks to all who support us in this difficult time.”
More than 200 homes were destroyed or heavily damaged in Ternopil alone, displacing thousands. Greek-Catholic churches across the region held prayer vigils Wednesday evening for those killed and injured.
The archbishop issued a global appeal: “I ask all who are listening to us — our brothers and sisters in faith — to pray for us and especially for the victims, for those who are now in distress, who have lost their loved ones, and who are waiting for news that perhaps someone is still alive under the rubble. Let us try to support these people together.”
The strikes underscore the escalating toll on civilian areas far from the front lines, as Russia intensifies attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure ahead of winter.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Vatican News
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