The Daily Star Ireland
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned Russia for launching a “cruel” attack on Christmas Day, targeting Ukraine’s power grid with over 170 missiles and drones. The strike, which resulted in one death and widespread power outages, came as the country was hit by an air raid alarm at 5:30 am local time. Ukrainian air forces reported that Russia fired Kalibr cruise missiles from the Black Sea.
Zelensky called Russia’s timing of the attack deliberate, stating that more than 70 missiles, including ballistic ones, and over 100 drones were aimed at Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. This marked the 13th major assault on Ukraine’s energy system in 2023, part of Russia’s ongoing strategy to disrupt power during the winter months.
In response, Russia reported five deaths from Ukrainian attacks, including a falling drone in the border regions of Kursk and North Ossetia. Ukraine’s air force successfully intercepted 58 out of 79 Russian-launched missiles, but two ballistic missiles, the Korean KN-23s, managed to get through. Additionally, a Russian missile was reported to have flown through Moldovan and Romanian airspace, though Romania found no violation, while Moldova initiated an investigation.
Despite these efforts, there were still hits, and several Ukrainian regions experienced power cuts. DTEK, a major Ukrainian energy company, confirmed significant damage to thermal power plants, which was condemned by DTEK’s CEO Maxim Timchenko, who called it a “depraved and evil act” and urged for increased air defense from allies.
In the central Dnipropetrovsk region, a Ukrainian thermal power plant worker was killed, while 42 missiles were intercepted. Governor Sergiy Lysak also reported the completion of rescue operations in Kryvyi Rig, where a previous strike had left one person dead and 17 injured. Engineers managed to restore power to the Ivano-Frankivsk region, where local officials, like Svitlana Onyshchuk, criticized the attack as an example of the aggressor country’s disregard for sacred moments like Christmas.
Ukraine marked Christmas on December 25 for the second consecutive year, following a shift from the traditional Orthodox celebration on January 7 as a stance against Russia.
The Christmas Day attack primarily targeted Dnipropetrovsk, aiming to cripple the region’s power system. At least one person was killed, and the region continued to suffer from the power outage. In Kharkiv, Russia launched 12 missiles, damaging thermal power plants, boiler houses, and electricity facilities, leaving four people injured and disrupting heating in parts of the city. Kharkiv’s governor also reported the evacuation of 46 people from Borivske and Kupiansk, where Russian forces have been trying to regain control after losing it in 2022.
The situation across the Kharkiv and Donetsk regions remains tense, with Ukrainian troops struggling to hold their positions against better-equipped Russian forces. The day before, a Russian attack killed one person in the Donetsk region. As both sides continue to vie for an advantage ahead of the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, Ukraine has called for more support from its allies to counter aerial strikes and push back Russian ground forces.
Zelensky expressed gratitude to those defending the country and reiterated his belief that Russian aggression would not break Ukraine or ruin Christmas.
