A fiery night in Ukraine: 470 drones and 48 missiles devastate Ternopil and Kharkiv. A secret US-Russian peace plan emerges.

Overnight, Russia launched one of the largest strikes since the beginning of the invasion against residential areas of Ukraine, particularly targeting the western part of the country and the city of Kharkiv. According to the Kiev Air Force, rockets were launched against Ukrainian territory. 48 missiles of various types and approximately 470 attack drones, in a coordinated wave that put air defense systems under pressure and forced the entire country into hours of continuous air raid alert.

Ukrainian authorities speak of at least nine dead and dozens injured in the west, with a toll expected to rise as rescuers dig through the rubble. Kharkiv, in the east of the country, has at least 46 injured, including several children, and heavy damage to residential buildings and civil infrastructure.

From Türkiye, where he is engaged in diplomatic meetings, Zelensky reiterated that the latest wave of raids demonstrates how international pressure on Moscow is still not sufficient"Every direct attack on daily life demonstrates that pressure on Russia is still insufficient. Effective sanctions and assistance to Ukraine can change this situation," the president emphasized.

Missile and drone strikes hit 14 locations

The Ukrainian Air Force described the night's attack as a "combined attack", conducted with drones and missiles against civilian and energy targets. The statement issued specifies that the launch vehicles were 48 missiles e 476 attack drones; of which 7 missiles and 34 drones they achieved their goals, hitting 14 locations. The fragments of the numerous downed aircraft then fell into at least 6 other inhabited centers, causing further damage.

The most targeted regions were those of Lviv, Ternopil, Ivano-Frankivsk and Kharkiv, in addition to the areas of Kiev, Mykolaiv, Cherkasy, Chernihiv and Dnipro, all of which came under attack during the night and early morning hours.

Ternopil: Buildings gutted, nine dead, dozens injured

The heaviest toll comes from Ternopil, in western Ukraine. Here, as President Volodymyr Zelensky reported, multi-story residential buildings were hit, in a densely populated area. "Nine-story residential buildings in Ternopil were hit, causing fires. Unfortunately, the damage is extensive, and people may be trapped under the rubble. Dozens of people are currently injured, and, sadly, nine people have died," Zelensky wrote on social media, expressing his condolences to the families of the victims.

Images broadcast on official channels show entire floors gutted, staircases collapsed, and cars engulfed by debris. Rescue workers are working tirelessly to locate any missing persons, while firefighters are trying to put out the fires sparked by the explosions.

Kharkiv under siege: buildings, school, supermarket and ambulance depot hit

In the east of the country, Kharkiv has returned to the center of Russian fire. Zelensky speaks of a “massive attack” started in the evening, with drones aimed in particular at the districts of Slobidsky e Osnovyansky.

According to the regional police and the Ukrainian Interior Ministry more than ten residential buildings were damaged; including a school, a supermarket and an ambulance depot. The injured are at least 46, among which 9 and 13 year old children and dozens of people were evacuated from a skyscraper whose stairwell was filled with smoke, including at least three minors.

Doctors diagnosed the injured children “acute stress reactions”, a sign of how much the war, with its night attacks, is also affecting the younger population on a psychological level.

Lviv and Ivano-Frankivsk: Energy infrastructure in focus

The wave of attacks has therefore hit hard the west of the country, which until now had been considered relatively safer: in the region of Ivano-Frankivsk they were damaged energy infrastructure, with three injured, among which two kids; while in the area of Lviv, according to Mayor Andrii Sadovyi, the drones attacked critical infrastructure and a tire warehouse, causing a large fire, but without victims.

Photos published on social media show a dense and extensive column of smoke stand out at the first light of day above Lviv. The authorities have invited citizens to close the windows due to the risk of air pollution due to the combustion of the material.

Overall, the Ukrainian Ministry of Energy announced emergency power outages in various regions, to address the damage to the electricity grid and maintain the national energy system. Technical teams will intervene "as soon as the security situation allows," with the stated goal of restoring power as quickly as possible.

National air alert and appeal to shelters

At dawn, all of Ukraine was on air alertSirens sounded in almost all regions, particularly in the west, where local authorities insistently urged citizens not to ignore the warnings.

The mayor of Lviv sent a clear message: "The enemy is attacking western Ukraine with drones. Don't ignore the alarm! Stay in your shelters."

This call for caution takes on particular significance in areas like Lviv and Ternopil, which after the Russian invasion of February 2022 had long been perceived as relatively safe rear areas, despite never being entirely immune to missiles and drones launched from Moscow.

Moscow: "Atacms missiles and 65 Ukrainian drones intercepted"

For its part, the Russian Defense Ministry presented the night as a success for its air defense systems.

According to Mosca, four Atacms tactical missiles US-made, launched by Ukraine against targets in the region of Voronezh, they would have been intercepted by S-400 and Pantsir systems and in the same night they would have been 65 Ukrainian drones shot down over various Russian regions and over the waters of the Black Sea and Sea of ​​Azov.

The Kremlin's claims cannot be independently verified, but they fit into the usual exchange of accusations and counter-narratives that accompanies every escalating phase of the conflict.

The 28-point "secret peace plan" between Washington and Moscow

On the diplomatic level, as the war enters the 1.365 day and the attacks become more and more devastating, rumours emerge about an attempted new peace initiative.

As reported by Axios and reported by several international newspapers, the US administration led by Donald Trump he would be working confidentially with Russia to a 28-point plan to end the war in Ukraine.

The main features that emerge show how the plan would be modelled on the previous American project for the ceasefire in Gaza, considered a success by the White House.

The 28 points would be organized into four major chapters: peace in Ukraine, security guarantees, broader security in Europe and future relations between the United States, Russia and Ukraine;

The initiative is led by theUS Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, who reportedly discussed the document at length with the Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev, a trusted figure in the Kremlin.

According to several sources, Witkoff and Dmitriev met for three days in Miami, from 24 to 26 October, to work on the negotiating framework, with the aim of producing a document written before the next meeting between Trump and Putin.

However, it remains to be seen how they will react Kiev and European partners, who in the past have repeatedly criticized mediation attempts perceived as too unbalanced towards Russian demands or conducted without full Ukrainian involvement.