KYIV, Ukraine — On Wednesday, Russia conducted a significant missile and drone assault aimed at Ukraine’s energy facilities, which coincided with Christmas morning, forcing many Ukrainians to seek refuge in metro stations. The attacks comprised a total of 78 missiles launched from air, ground, and sea, coupled with 106 Shahed drones among other types, according to the Ukrainian air force. Reports indicate that they successfully intercepted 59 missiles and 54 drones, while an additional 52 drones were jammed.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the timing of the attack, stating on X, “Putin deliberately chose Christmas for an attack. What could be more inhumane?” He emphasized that the aggressors are intent on creating a blackout in Ukraine.
In Russia, fallout from the conflict was felt as well; one woman was killed, and three others injured due to debris from a downed drone that ignited a fire in a shopping center in Vladikavkaz. Sergey Menyaylo, the head of North Ossetia-Alania, confirmed that security footage confirmed the explosion occurred outside the Alania Mall on Wednesday morning.
In Ukraine’s Dnipro region, at least one fatality resulted from the Russian attacks, as stated by Vice Prime Minister Oleksii Kuleba via Telegram. He noted that heating was interrupted for 155 residential buildings, and approximately 500,000 individuals in the Kharkiv region were left without heat.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha reported that one of the Russian missiles breached Moldovan and Romanian airspace. Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko reiterated that Russia is consistently targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. The air force reported multiple missile attacks in the eastern regions, including Kharkiv, Dnipro, and Poltava.
Halushchenko mentioned that the power distributor implemented measures to reduce consumption and stated, “As soon as the security situation allows, energy workers will assess the damage.” The state energy operator, Ukrenergo, instituted preemptive power outages nationwide due to the extensive missile attack, leading to power outages in various sectors of Kyiv.
One of Ukraine’s largest private energy firms, DTEK, acknowledged that a thermal power plant was hit during the assault, marking the 13th such attack on the country’s energy grid this year. Maxim Timchenko, CEO of DTEK, expressed outrage on X, describing the denial of light and warmth to countless innocent people during Christmas as a cruel and inhumane act that must be addressed.
Kharkiv experienced a barrage, with at least seven strikes igniting fires throughout the area, according to regional governor Oleh Syniehubov on Telegram, reporting that at least three individuals sustained injuries. Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov warned, “Kharkiv is under massive missile fire. A series of explosions rang out in the city, with ballistic missiles still being launched. Please stay in safe locations.”
Conversely, Russia’s Ministry of Defense claimed to have downed 59 Ukrainian drones overnight, affecting areas including Belgorod, Voronezh, and Kursk, among others. They did not address the incident that occurred in North Ossetia-Alania.
In another related development, four fatalities resulted from Ukrainian shelling in the town of Lgov within the Kursk region, as declared by regional head Alexander Khinshtein. He noted that three people perished when several residential blocks and a beauty salon were struck, while one more succumbed to injuries in hospital care.
