Death toll rises to 25 including children in Russia latest offensive across Ukraine

Russia's latest onslaught has led to the death of at least 25 people including three children with 115 people injured while also triggering emergency power outages across Ukraine.

Three children were part of the casualties in the attack which saw missiles strike two blocks of flats in the attack which took place in Ternopil, Western Ukraine. 

The main direction of the attack was Lviv, Ternopil, and Kharkiv where over 30 people injured in three districts of the northern city. 

According to the Ukraine's Air Force via its Telegram account, Russia launched a total of 524 UAVs including 476 drones and 48 missiles. 

It also said that its air defence systems intercepted 442 of the drones and 34 Kh-1010 cruise missiles. 

"The air attack was repelled by aviation, anti-aircraft missile troops, electronic warfare and unmanned systems units, and mobile fire groups of the Defense Forces of Ukraine."

It also added that 7 missiles and 34 drones have been recorded hitting 14 locations with downed drone fragments in 6 locations. 

Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that more people were trapped are still trapped under the rubble and that emergency services are also on the ground to provide the necessary help. 

In a post on X, President Zelenskyy said "Energy facilities, transport, and civilian infrastructure have been damaged. Our energy infrastructure in the Ivano-Frankivsk region was attacked as well.

Three people were wounded, including two children. In the Lviv region, critical infrastructure and energy facilities were targeted."

In photos posted on his X account accompanying the statement, firefighters were seen working to put out a fire in one of the buildings that were hit. 

A video also posted on Zelenksyy's account showed huge plumes of smoke billowing out of a row of buildings with a few of them still on fire. 

A small crowd also gathered at the site while rescue workers continued evacuation efforts. 

Tuesday night's strikes constitute one of the deadliest of Russia's offensives towards Ukraine since its full scale invasion of the country in 2022. 

The Air Force warned that the attack was still ongoing with some drones still in the sky, urging citizens across all regions to follow safety procedures. 

Russia's defence Ministry said that it had carried out the strike using "long range precise weapons". It also said it targeted Ukraine's military industral complex due to Ukraine's attacks on its own civillians. 

It also accused Ukraine of firing four missiles at the Voronezh adding that they were shut down by air defence.

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