Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned a major Russian missile and drone attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure on Christmas Day, describing it as a “conscious choice” by Russia.
Ukraine’s air force reported detecting 184 missiles and drones, with many intercepted or missing their targets, though casualties were reported without specific figures.
Moscow confirmed the strikes, claiming they were successful in hitting “critical” energy facilities, marking the 13th major attack on Ukraine’s energy sector this year, according to the country’s largest private energy company, DTEK.
The attack led to widespread power outages, including in Kyiv, where some residents took refuge in metro stations.
US President Joe Biden condemned the attack, emphasizing that it aimed to deprive Ukrainians of heat and electricity during winter.
Biden also directed the US defense department to continue supplying weapons to Ukraine.
Zelensky, reflecting on the timing of the attack, called it “inhumane” and reiterated that “Russian evil will not break Ukraine.”
He also noted that efforts were underway to restore power as soon as possible.
This marks the second year Ukraine has celebrated Christmas on December 25, after previously following the Julian calendar like Russia.
The attack left approximately half a million people in Kharkiv without water, electricity, or heating in freezing conditions.
Ukrainian residents, including in Kyiv, woke up to air raid alarms and were told to shelter.
Despite the attacks, many still planned to celebrate Christmas. One Kyiv resident, Oleksandra, expressed defiance, saying, “Christmas is not cancelled.”
Ukraine’s state power company, Ukrenergo, warned that power cuts could last until the end of the day and imposed restrictions as they worked to restore service.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha described the strikes as “Christmas terror” and highlighted the broader threat, noting that a Russian missile passed through Moldovan airspace, which was condemned by Moldova’s President Maia Sandu. Romania, however, did not detect the missile.
In a separate incident, Ukrainian shelling in Russia’s Kursk region resulted in four deaths and five injuries, according to the region’s acting governor.
Source-BBC
