On Christmas Day, Russian forces launched a major attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, deploying over 70 missiles and more than 100 drones.
💣💥 Russia launched a major attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure on Christmas Day, with Ukraine’s air force reporting 184 missiles and drones.
Just days ago, Viktor Orbán claimed that Putin was open to his proposed “Christmas ceasefire” deal. Predictably, it was lie… 1/2 pic.twitter.com/k7GshslxU0
— Szabolcs Panyi (@panyiszabolcs) December 25, 2024
The strikes caused significant damage across Ukraine. In the Dnipropetrovsk region, one person was killed, and in Kharkiv, seven missile strikes injured six people and damaged residential buildings.
Half a million households in the Kharkiv region lost heating, with temperatures around 3°C (37°F). Kyiv implemented rolling blackouts as repair crews worked to restore power.
A colleague asked me if we could expect a pause in Russia’s war on Christmas Day.
I told them what Ukrainians tell me: Russia ramps *up* attacks on holidays.
Overnight:
70+ missiles, 100+ drones targeting energy infrastructureToday:
Rolling blackouts. Casualties TBC.— Alex Cadier (@alexcadier) December 25, 2024
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the assault as “inhumane,” saying it targeted civilian energy facilities in an effort to cause widespread blackouts. However, Zelenskyy also said: “Russian evil will not break Ukraine and will not spoil Christmas.”
The Russian Ministry of Defence admitted to the strikes, claiming they targeted energy facilities supporting Ukraine’s “military-industrial complex.”
Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces responded with an attack on a Russian command post in the Kursk region, killing four people and injuring five, according to local Russian authorities.
The strikes mark the 13th large-scale attack on Ukraine’s energy grid this year, as Russia continues to target critical infrastructure during the war’s third winter.
