Russia launches ‘inhuman’ Christmas Day attacks, Ukraine says By Reuters

Written by Pavel Polityuk

KYIV (Reuters) – Russia attacked Ukraine’s energy system and some cities with cruise and ballistic missiles as well as drones on Wednesday in an “inhumane” attack on Christmas Day, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

Nearly three years into the war, the strikes wounded at least six people in the northeastern city of Kharkiv and killed one person in the Dnipropetrovsk region, governors of the northeastern city of Kharkiv said.

US President Joe Biden condemned the “heinous” attack and said that he had asked the US Department of Defense to move forward with a new increase in military aid to Kiev.

Half a million people were left in the Kharkiv region without heating, with temperatures not exceeding a few degrees Celsius above zero, while power was cut off in the capital, Kiev, and elsewhere.

“Today, (Russian President Vladimir) Putin deliberately chose Christmas to attack. What could be more inhumane? More than 70 missiles, including ballistic missiles, and more than a hundred attack drones,” he said.

The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed that it had carried out a “large-scale strike” on what it said were vital energy facilities that support the work of the “military-industrial complex” in Kiev.

“The aim of the strike has been achieved. All facilities have been targeted,” she said in a statement.

The Ukrainian army said that its air defenses shot down 59 Russian missiles and 54 drones during the night and Wednesday morning.

Biden, who will be replaced by Donald Trump next month, said the aim of the attack was to “cut off heating and electricity access to the Ukrainian people during the winter and jeopardize the integrity of its grid.”

Washington pledged to provide aid worth $175 billion to Ukraine. It is not certain that the flow will continue at this pace under Trump, who has said he wants to end the war quickly.

In Moldova, Ukraine’s western neighbor, pro-European President Maia Sandu said that a Russian missile crossed her country’s airspace during the air attack.

“While our countries celebrate Christmas, the Kremlin has chosen the path of destruction, launching strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and violating Moldova’s airspace,” Sandu wrote on social media.

Moldova witnessed several cases of drone fragments landing on its territory and missiles passing through its airspace.

Ukrainians celebrated their second Christmas on Wednesday, according to a new calendar, in another step toward erasing Russian influence.

Most Ukrainians are Orthodox Christians, and the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Ukraine, founded in 2018, has agreed in 2023 to move away from the traditional Julian calendar used in Russia where Christmas falls on January 7.

Russia has intensified its attacks on the Ukrainian energy sector since the spring of this year, destroying nearly half of its generating capacity and causing prolonged power outages.

“Russia is arming itself for the winter”

The Ukrainian Air Force said Kharkiv was attacked by ballistic missiles. Regional Governor Oleh Sinyhopov said on Telegram that damage was caused to non-residential civilian infrastructure, without providing further details.

Dnipropetrovsk Governor Serhiy Lysak said the death occurred in an attack on regional energy facilities.

He added, “Since morning, the Russian army has been launching intense attacks on the Dnipro region. It is trying to destroy the energy system in the region.”

Ukrainian Energy Minister German Galoshenko said on Facebook (NASDAQ:) that Russia is intensively attacking the energy sector and that restrictions on electricity supply exist.

DTEK, Ukraine’s largest private energy company, said its generating facilities were attacked, resulting in severe damage to power equipment, in the 13th large-scale attack on the energy sector this year.

“We call on every ally of Ukraine to end this state-sponsored terrorism now by providing our armed forces with the air defense munitions they need to protect essential energy infrastructure,” DTEK CEO Maxim Timchenko said in a statement.

US Ambassador Bridget Brink said: “Russian Christmas gift to Ukraine: more than 70 missiles and 100 drones, directed toward Ukrainian families celebrating in their homes and the energy infrastructure that keeps them warm.”

“In its third holiday season, Russia is using winter as a weapon.”