(Editing)
KYIV (Reuters) – Russia attacked Ukraine’s energy system and some cities with cruise and ballistic missiles and drones on Wednesday in an inhumane attack on Christmas Day, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said.
Nearly three years into the war, the strikes injured at least six people in the northeastern city of Kharkiv and killed one in Dnipropetrovsk region, local authorities said.
Half a million people in Kharkiv region were left without heating, in temperatures several degrees Celsius above zero, while there were blackouts in the capital Kyiv and elsewhere.
“Today, (Russian President Vladimir) Putin deliberately chose Christmas to attack. What could be more brutal? More than 70 missiles, including ballistic missiles, and more than 100 drones to attack,” he said.
Russia’s Defense Ministry has confirmed it has carried out a “major strike” on what it says are critical energy facilities supporting Kyiv’s “military and industrial” operation.
“The aim of the strike has been achieved. All institutions have been hit,” said the statement.
Ukraine’s military said its air defenses downed 59 Russian missiles and 54 drones overnight and early Wednesday.
Ukrainians marked their second Christmas on Wednesday, according to the new calendar in another move to remove 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 falls on Jan. 7.
Russia has stepped up attacks on Ukraine’s energy sector since spring this year, damaging nearly half of its generating capacity and causing prolonged blackouts.
‘RUSSIA DECORATING FOR WINTER’
The Ukrainian Air Force said Kharkiv was hit by missiles. The governor of the region, Oleh Syniehubov, said on Telegram that there was damage to non-residential infrastructure, without giving further details.
The governor of Dnipropetrovsk, Serhiy Lysak, said that people were killed when the power plants were attacked.
“Since this morning, the Russian army has been aggressively attacking the Dnipro region. They are trying to destroy the electricity system in this area,” he said.
Ukraine’s Energy Minister German Galushchenko said on Facebook (NASDAQ: ) that Russia is aggressively attacking the energy sector and that restrictions on electricity supply are in place.
Ukraine’s largest private energy company DTEK said its power plants were attacked, severely damaging electrical equipment, in the 13th major attack on the power industry this year.
“We urge all members of Ukraine to end this state-sponsored terrorism now by providing our armed forces with the necessary ammunition to protect critical energy infrastructure,” DTEK chief Maxim Timchenko said in a statement.
“Russia’s Christmas gift to Ukraine: more than 70 missiles and 100 drones, targeting Ukrainian families celebrating in their homes and energy infrastructure,” said US ambassador Bridget Brink.
“For the third holiday season, Russia is gearing up for winter.”
