Russia fired massive missile and drone fire at Ukraine's energy infrastructure on Wednesday, hitting a thermal power plant and forcing Ukrainians to take shelter in subway stations on Christmas morning.
In a statement to X, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that more than 70 missiles, including ballistic missiles, and more than 100 attack drones were used to attack Ukrainian energy sources.
At least one person was killed in the Dnipro Oblast in the attack, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Kuleba said on the Telegram messaging application, adding that heating was interrupted in 155 residential buildings in the Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast. He also said that 500,000 customers or 2,677 buildings in the Kharkiv region have no heating.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said that one Russian missile flew over the airspace of Moldova and Romania.
“Putin deliberately chose Christmas to attack. What could be more inhumane?” – Zelensky said. “They are still fighting 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 takes time to prepare. It's never a spontaneous decision. It's a conscious choice – not only of goals, but also of time and date.
Today, Putin deliberately chose Christmas to attack. What could be more inhumane? Over 70 rockets,… pic.twitter.com/GMD8rTomoX
The Russian Ministry of Defense announced on Wednesday that it had carried out a “massive strike” on what it said were critical energy facilities in Ukraine that support the operation of the Kiev military-industrial complex.
The same statement said Russian forces also took control of the settlement of Vidrodzhennya in eastern Ukraine.
In a statement on Facebook, Ukrainian Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko said Russia was again “massively attacking energy infrastructure.” The Ukrainian Air Force reported numerous missiles fired at the Kharkov, Dnieper and Poltava areas in the east of the country.
“The (electricity) distribution system operator takes the necessary actions to reduce consumption and minimize negative consequences for the power system,” he said. “As soon as the security situation allows, energy workers will determine the damage caused.”
Dozens of attacks on Ukraine's energy network
Ukraine's largest private energy company, DTEK, said Russia struck one of its thermal power plants on Wednesday morning, making it the 13th attack on Ukraine's power grid this year.
“Denying light and warmth to millions of peace-loving people while celebrating Christmas is a depraved and evil act that must be answered,” wrote Maksym Timchenko, general director of DTEK, on his X account.
Ukraine's state-owned energy operator Ukrenergo imposed preventive power outages across the country following a “massive missile attack” that knocked out electricity in several districts of the capital Kiev.
At least seven attacks targeted Kharkiv, sparking fires across the city, regional chief Oleh Synehubova wrote on Telegram. Local authorities said at least three people were injured.
“Kharkiv is under massive rocket fire. There were a series of explosions in the city, and ballistic missiles continue to fly towards the city. Stay in safe places,” said the mayor of Kharkov, Ihor Terekhov.