Russia launched a massive missile and drone attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure on Wednesday, hitting a thermal power plant and prompting Ukrainians to seek shelter in subway stations on Christmas morning.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a statement on X that over 70 missiles, including ballistic missiles, and over 100 attack drones were used to attack Ukraine’s energy sources.
At least one person was killed in the attack in the Dnipro region, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Kuleba said on the messaging app Telegram, adding that heating was disrupted in 155 residential buildings in the Ivano-Frankivsk region. He also said that 500,000 recipients or 2,677 buildings in the Kharkiv region were without heating.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said a Russian missile passed through the airspace of Moldova and Romania.
“Putin deliberately chose Christmas for an attack. What could be more inhumane?” Zelensky said. “They continue to fight for a blackout in Ukraine.”
He said Ukraine managed to shoot down at least 50 missiles and a significant number of drones.
Any massive Russian attack requires time to prepare. It is never a spontaneous decision. It is a conscious choice – not just the goals, but also the time and date.
Putin deliberately chose Christmas as the target of the attack today. What could be more inhumane? Over 70 rockets,… pic.twitter.com/GMD8rTomoX
Russia’s Defense Ministry said on Wednesday it had carried out a “mass attack” on what it said were critical energy facilities in Ukraine that support the work of the military-industrial complex in Kiev.
The same statement said Russian troops had also taken control of the settlement of Vidrodzhennia in eastern Ukraine.
Ukrainian Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko said in a Facebook statement that Russia is once again “massively attacking energy infrastructure.” The Ukrainian Air Force warned of several missiles fired at the Kharkiv, Dnipro and Poltava regions in the east of the country.
“The (electricity) distribution system operator is taking the necessary measures to limit consumption in order to minimize negative consequences for the electricity network,” he said. “As soon as the security situation allows, the energy experts will assess the damage caused.”
More than a dozen attacks on the Ukrainian power grid
Ukraine’s largest private energy company, DTEK, said Russia attacked one of its thermal power plants on Wednesday morning, marking the 13th attack on Ukraine’s power grid this year.
“Denying light and warmth to millions of peace-loving people as they celebrate Christmas is a depraved and evil act that must be answered,” DTEK CEO Maxim Timchenko wrote on his X account.
Ukraine’s state-owned energy utility Ukrenergo carried out pre-emptive blackouts across the country due to a “massive missile attack”, leading to blackouts in several districts of the capital Kiev.
At least seven attacks targeted Kharkiv and sparked fires across the city, regional director Oleh Syniehubov wrote on Telegram. According to local authorities, at least three people were injured.
“Kharkiv is under massive rocket fire. There have been a number of explosions in the city and ballistic missiles are still flying towards the city. Stay in safe places,” said Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov.
