(Edit)
By Pavel Polityuk
KYIV (Reuters) – Russia attacked Ukraine's energy system and some cities with cruise ships and ballistic missiles and drones on Wednesday in an “inhumane” Christmas Day attack, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said.
Nearly three years into the war, the protests injured at least six people in the northeastern city of Kharkiv and killed another in the Dnipropetrovsk region, local governors said.
Half a million people in the Kharkiv region were left without heating, in temperatures just a few degrees Celsius above zero, while there was electricity in the capital Kyiv and elsewhere.
“Today, (Russian President Vladimir) Putin deliberately chose Christmas to attack. What could be worse? More than 70 missiles, including ballistic missiles, and more than a hundred drones to attack,” he said.
Russia's Defense Ministry confirmed that it had carried out a “major strike” on what it said were vital energy resources supporting Kyiv's “industrial complex”.
“The objective of the strike has been achieved, all benefits have been achieved,” the statement said.
Ukraine's military said its air defenses shot down 59 Russian missiles and 54 drones overnight and into Wednesday morning.
Ukrainians were marking their second Christmas on Wednesday, according to the new calendar in another move to stamp out Russian influence.
The majority of Ukrainians are Orthodox Christians and the independent Orthodox Church of Ukraine, founded in 2018, agreed in 2023 to move away from the traditional Julian calendar used in Russia where Christmas is January 7.
Russia has intensified attacks on Ukraine's energy sector since the spring of this year, damaging almost half of its production capacity and causing prolonged blackouts.
'RUSSIA IS WINTERING'
The Ukrainian Air Force said Kharkiv was hit by missiles. Regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said in a Telegram that there was damage to non-residential infrastructure, without giving further details.
The governor of Dnipropetrovsk, Serhiy Lysak, said the death there occurred in an attack on the region's power plants.
“Since the morning, the Russian army has been aggressively attacking the Dnipro region. He is trying to destroy the energy system of this region,” he said.
Ukraine's Energy Minister German Galushchenko said on Facebook (NASDAQ:) that Russia was aggressively attacking the energy sector and restrictions on electricity supply were in place.
Ukraine's largest private company DTEK said its production facilities were attacked, with electrical equipment severely damaged, in the 13th major attack on the energy sector this year.
“We appeal to all of Ukraine's allies to end this state-sponsored terrorism now by providing our armed forces with the air defense equipment they need to protect energy infrastructure,” DTEK chief Maxim Timchenko said in a statement.
“Russia's Christmas gift to Ukraine: more than 70 missiles and 100 drones, aimed at Ukrainian families who are celebrating in their homes and the energy infrastructure that keeps them warm,” said US ambassador Bridget Brink.
“For the third holiday season, Russia is gearing up for winter.”