Russian forces unleashed a devastating large-scale aerial assault on Ukraine on Christmas, launching a barrage of hundreds of missiles and drones that killed at least three people, including a young child.
Scale of the Christmas Assault
On the orders of the Kremlin, 673 aerial weapons were fired at targets across Ukraine in one of the heaviest attacks of the war. Ukrainian air defence officials reported that the onslaught consisted of 635 drones of various types and 38 missiles.
While Ukrainian defences managed to intercept 587 drones and 34 missiles, the remaining projectiles struck civilian residential areas and critical energy infrastructure. The attacks caused widespread power outages in 13 Ukrainian regions during bitterly cold winter temperatures.
Civilian Infrastructure Targeted
The assault marked the ninth large-scale Russian attack on Ukraine's energy system this year. Multiple western regions were left without power, and emergency outages were implemented nationwide.
DTEK, Ukraine's largest private energy supplier, stated that thermal power stations were targeted. This represented the seventh major strike on the company's facilities since October. Since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022, DTEK's plants have been hit over 220 times, resulting in four worker deaths and 59 injuries.
Authorities in the western regions of Rivne, Ternopil, and Lviv, as well as the northern Sumy region, confirmed damage to energy infrastructure. In the southern Odesa region, strikes hit energy, port, transport, industrial, and residential sites, damaging a merchant ship and more than 120 homes.
Casualties and Condemnation
The human cost of the Christmas attack was severe. A four-year-old child was killed in Zhytomyr Oblast. Some residents were reported trapped in their apartments following the strikes.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the "evil assault" on social media, stating it sent a clear signal about Russia's priorities. "A strike before Christmas, when people just want to be home with their families, in safety," he said. Zelensky accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of being unable to accept that he must stop killing and argued the attack demonstrated that the world is not applying sufficient pressure on Moscow.
International Response and Peace Talks
The attack occurred amid ongoing but fragile peace negotiations. The Kremlin publicly questioned claims by US Vice President JD Vance that negotiators were close to a "breakthrough" on Ukraine. Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, expressed confusion over the public statements, noting the complexity of the issue.
In Washington, Ukraine's military resilience has prompted some US lawmakers to call for a reassessment of policy. Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Mitch McConnell argued in a joint statement that "Kyiv is not losing, and Moscow is not winning," urging the US administration to match Ukraine's resolve.
Both Kyiv and Washington have expressed cautious optimism following weekend talks in Miami, though Ukrainian officials acknowledge several key negotiation points remain unresolved.
