On Christmas Day, Russia launched a devastating assault on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and cities using cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, and drones, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reported. The attacks killed one person in the Dnipropetrovsk region and injured six in Kharkiv, where temperatures hovered just above freezing.
Widespread Damage and Blackouts
The strikes left half a million people in the Kharkiv region without heating and caused power outages in Kyiv and other cities. According to Ukraine’s Energy Minister German Galushchenko, Russia targeted critical energy facilities, leading to electricity restrictions across the country. Ukraine’s largest private energy company, DTEK, confirmed significant damage to its power-generating infrastructure in what marked the 13th large-scale assault on the energy sector this year.
Russian Justification for the Strikes
Russia’s Defence Ministry stated that the strikes were aimed at critical energy facilities supporting Ukraine’s military-industrial complex. “The aim of the strike was achieved. All facilities have been hit,” the ministry claimed.
Ukrainian Air Defences Respond
Ukraine’s military reported that its air defences intercepted 59 Russian missiles and 54 drones during the overnight attack. Ballistic missiles also hit Kharkiv, with regional authorities confirming damage to civilian infrastructure.
Call for International Support
DTEK CEO Maxim Timchenko urged Ukraine’s allies to provide additional air defence systems and ammunition to protect vital infrastructure. US Ambassador Bridget Brink condemned the attack, describing it as Russia’s “Christmas gift” of terror targeting families and energy systems.
Weaponising Winter
This marks another instance of Russia intensifying its campaign to cripple Ukraine’s energy sector, which has already seen nearly half of its capacity damaged since spring. For Ukrainians, this Christmas, celebrated under a new calendar distancing from Russian traditions, was marked by resilience amidst hardship.
