Many Ukrainian citizens found themselves celebrating the Christmas holiday in darkness and cold as Russia initiated an assault on the country’s energy infrastructure on Christmas Day. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the attack as “inhuman,” highlighting the deliberate choice of timing by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Zelenskyy expressed his outrage, stating, “Today, Putin deliberately chose Christmas for an attack. What could be more inhuman.” He emphasized that Russian military strikes are meticulously planned and not spontaneous decisions, targeting not only specific locations but also considering the timing and date of the attack.
Reports indicated that over 70 Russian missiles and more than a hundred drones were launched at Ukrainian energy infrastructure. Despite the significant assault, Ukrainian forces managed to intercept and shoot down more than 50 missiles and a substantial number of drones, as reported by Zelenskyy.
The targeted attack on the energy sector resulted in power outages in various regions, including the capital city, Kyiv. Zelenskyy raised concerns that Russian forces were aiming for a complete blackout in Ukraine, but he reaffirmed his country’s resilience in the face of such aggression, stating, “Russian evil will not break Ukraine and will not distort Christmas.”
The Russian defense ministry confirmed the attacks, describing them as a coordinated strike using long-range precision weapons and strike drones on critical energy infrastructure facilities in Ukraine. According to the ministry, the objectives of the strike were successfully achieved with all targeted facilities being hit.
The timing of the attack, on Christmas Day, was seen as a response to discussions about a potential “Christmas ceasefire,” according to Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha. The assault caused significant damage to thermal power plant equipment, as reported by DTEK, Ukraine’s largest energy company. Despite the destruction, efforts were already underway to restore the equipment and minimize the impact on the power system.
Ukraine’s Energy Minister, Herman Hlushchenko, confirmed the scale of the attacks on the energy system, urging the population to seek shelter until the shelling ceased. Precautionary measures were implemented to mitigate the negative consequences on the power grid.
This recent attack marked the 13th instance of Russia targeting Ukraine’s energy sector this year and the 10th attack on energy enterprises operated by DTEK, as stated in an official communication from the company. Notably, this year saw Ukraine officially celebrating Christmas on December 25, aligning with Western tradition rather than the traditional January 7 date observed by Russian and other Eastern Orthodox Christians.
President Zelenskyy emphasized the unity of the Ukrainian people during this challenging time, stating, “For the second time in modern history, Christmas unites all Ukrainians. Today, we stand side by side. And we will not be lost.” He reiterated the strength found in unity, asserting that as long as Ukrainians remained together, evil would not prevail.
