Russian Strikes Kill 25 as Zelenskyy Seeks Diplomatic Help in Turkey; US Generals Arrive in Kyiv

The diplomatic push to end the war in Ukraine is accelerating against a backdrop of deadly military escalation, highlighted by a Russian missile and drone attack that killed at least 25 people in the western city of Ternopil on Wednesday, November 19.

As rescue crews searched the rubble of the destroyed apartment blocks in Ternopil, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy traveled to Ankara to hold talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in an attempt to revive a U.S.-backed bid to end the war. The diplomatic maneuvering comes amid reports that U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, has been quietly working on a peace plan with Russian counterpart Kirill Dmitriev.

Adding gravity to the diplomatic efforts, two top U.S. Army officials—Secretary Dan Driscoll and Chief of Staff General Randy George—are making an unannounced visit to Kyiv this week. They are the most senior U.S. military figures to visit the capital since President Trump took office, reportedly to meet with Zelenskyy and discuss stalled peace efforts, signaling a dual-track strategy by the Trump administration.

Meanwhile, the Kremlin has downplayed the diplomatic track, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov refusing to comment on the peace plan reports and confirming no Russian representative would join the Ankara talks.

The fighting is intensifying on both sides. The Ternopil civilian attack was part of a massive Russian barrage that also hit energy facilities in the Lviv and Ivano-Frankivsk regions, prompting Poland and Romania to scramble jets and temporarily close airports due to border airspace concerns.

The Russian strikes were claimed as retaliation after Ukraine’s military admitted using U.S.-supplied longer-range Atacms missiles at military targets inside Russia—the first time Kyiv has officially acknowledged using the American-made weapons on Russian soil. Russia, which insists its own strikes target only military and energy infrastructure, claimed it shot down four of the missiles aimed at the southern city of Voronezh.

The latest developments underscore the fundamental opposition between Moscow and Kyiv on ending the war, as the fourth anniversary of the full-scale invasion approaches next February.