Kyiv, Ukraine — Russia launched a massive missile and drone attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure on Wednesday, hitting a thermal power plant and sending Ukrainians sheltering in subway stations on Christmas morning.
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In a statement on
“Putin deliberately chose Christmas for an attack. What could be more inhumane?” Zelensky said. “They keep fighting for it a power outage in Ukraine.”
He said Ukraine managed to shoot down at least 50 missiles and a significant number of drones.
Ukrainian Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko said in a Facebook statement that Russia is once again “massively attacking energy infrastructure.” The Ukrainian Air Force noted that several missiles were fired at the Kharkiv, Dnipro and Poltava regions in the east of the country.
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“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.”
Ukraine’s largest private energy company, DTEK, said Russia attacked one of its thermal power plants, 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 has initiated pre-emptive power outages 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.
Since then, Ukraine’s energy grid has been heavily targeted Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, when Kiev accused Moscow of “terrorist” tactics by attempting to plunge Ukrainian cities into darkness and cut off heating to civilians throughout the winter.
