KEY POINTS
- Russia launched over 70 missiles and 100 drones in a Christmas assault.
- Ukraine’s energy infrastructure endured its 13th major attack this year.
- Biden condemned the strikes and pledged accelerated military aid.
Russia unleashed a massive wave of missile and drone strikes across Ukraine on Christmas Day, targeting critical energy infrastructure and urban areas.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called the attacks “inhuman,” noting that over 70 missiles and more than 100 drones were used in the assault. The strikes caused widespread power outages and left half a million residents in the Kharkiv region without heating, with temperatures hovering just above freezing.
In a televised address, Zelenskiy said, “Putin deliberately chose Christmas to attack. What could be more inhuman?” Russia’s Defense Ministry confirmed the strikes, claiming they targeted facilities supporting Ukraine’s military-industrial complex. Ukrainian air defenses successfully intercepted 59 missiles and 54 drones, but the damage to critical infrastructure was still significant.
Widespread energy outages as attacks intensify
The Christmas Day strikes resulted in at least one death in Dnipropetrovsk and six injuries in Kharkiv, according to regional governors. Power outages were reported in Kyiv and other major cities as energy facilities were overwhelmed by the barrage.
Moreover, Ukrainian Energy Minister German Galushchenko described the attacks as part of a deliberate strategy to weaponize winter, saying, “Russia is trying to break the will of the Ukrainian people by targeting our energy supply.”
According to Reuters, this marked the 13th large-scale assault on Ukraine’s energy sector this year, with nearly half of the country’s power generation capacity already damaged.
In Dnipropetrovsk, Governor Serhiy Lysak reported that the fatality occurred during an attack on power facilities, adding, “Since the morning, the Russian army has been targeting our region’s energy system in an effort to dismantle it entirely.”
International condemnation and calls for aid
U.S. President Joe Biden condemned the attacks, calling them “outrageous” and pledging to accelerate military support for Ukraine. “The goal is clear: to cut off heat and electricity during the harsh winter and jeopardize the safety of Ukraine’s grid,” Biden said in a statement.
Washington has committed $175 billion in aid to Ukraine, but questions remain about the future of U.S. support as Donald Trump prepares to assume the presidency in January. Trump has indicated a preference for a negotiated resolution to the conflict, which could impact the scale of future assistance.
Meanwhile, Moldova reported that one of the Russian missiles violated its airspace during the strikes, prompting criticism from President Maia Sandu. “While our countries celebrate Christmas, the Kremlin has chosen the path of destruction,” she said. Moldova has experienced multiple incidents involving Russian drone fragments and missile incursions in recent months.
Appeals for international support
Ukraine’s largest private energy provider, DTEK, reported severe damage to its facilities and called on international allies for more air defense capabilities.
“We appeal to every ally of Ukraine to end this state-sponsored terrorism now by supplying the ammunition needed to protect essential infrastructure,” said DTEK CEO Maxim Timchenko.
Moreover, the attacks came as Ukrainians marked their second Christmas under a revised calendar, moving away from the Julian calendar traditionally observed in Russia. The shift underscores Ukraine’s efforts to distance itself from Russian influence amid the ongoing war.
U.S. Ambassador Bridget Brink joined calls for continued support, saying, “Russia’s Christmas gift to Ukraine: over 70 missiles and 100 drones, aimed at families and the energy infrastructure keeping them warm.”
