Russia launched a large-scale missile and drone attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure on Christmas Day, resulting in at least one death in the Dnipro region. The attack targeted a thermal power plant and forced Ukrainians to seek shelter in metro stations.
According to the Ukrainian Air Force, 78 air-, ground-, and sea-launched missiles, along with 106 Shahed and other drones, were used in the assault. Ukraine claimed to have intercepted 59 missiles and 54 drones, with an additional 52 drones being jammed.
President Zelenskyy condemned the attack on X, stating that Putin “deliberately chose Christmas for an attack. What could be more inhumane?” He accused Russia of trying to cause a blackout in Ukraine.
In a related incident, debris from a downed drone caused a fire in a shopping mall in Vladikavkaz, Russia, resulting in one death and three injuries. Russian officials reported the explosion occurred outside the mall.
Ukrainian officials reported further consequences of the Russian attack, including disrupted heating for hundreds of thousands of people in multiple regions. Foreign Minister Sybiha stated that a Russian missile crossed into Moldovan and Romanian airspace. Energy Minister Halushchenko confirmed the attack on energy infrastructure and stated that measures were taken to limit consumption while damage assessments were underway.
The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed conducting a “massive strike” targeting Ukrainian energy facilities they claimed were supporting Kyiv’s military-industrial complex, stating the strike’s objective was achieved. They also claimed to have taken control of the settlement of Vidrodzhennia in eastern Ukraine.
President Biden condemned the attack as “outrageous” and announced a new surge of military aid to Ukraine. He echoed Zelenskyy’s sentiment, stating, “Today, Putin deliberately chose Christmas to attack. What could be more inhuman?”
This marks the 13th attack on Ukraine’s power grid this year, according to DTEK, Ukraine’s largest private energy company. Ukrenergo, the state energy operator, implemented preemptive power outages across the country, affecting parts of Kyiv. Kharkiv was also heavily targeted, with at least seven strikes reported and several injuries.
Separately, Russia reported that 59 Ukrainian drones were shot down overnight over several Russian regions and the Azov Sea. They did not comment on the incident in North Ossetia-Alania. Russia also reported four deaths due to Ukrainian shelling in the town of Lgov in the Kursk region.
