Many Ukrainians were left without heat or power on Christmas Day after Russia launched an assault on the country’s energy infrastructure, prompting condemnation from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Over 70 Russian missiles and more than a hundred drones targeted Ukraine’s energy sector, causing outages in several regions, including Kyiv. Despite the attack, Ukrainian forces successfully shot down more than 50 missiles and drones. The attack caused serious damage to thermal power plant equipment, according to DTEK, Ukraine’s largest energy company.
Zelenskyy criticized the attack as “inhuman” and emphasized that Russian forces were trying to cause a blackout in Ukraine. He also noted that the assault came in response to those who spoke of a Christmas ceasefire. This marks the 13th attack on Ukraine’s energy sector by Russia this year and the 10th on DTEK’s energy enterprises.
Ukraine’s Energy Minister, Herman Hlushchenko, confirmed that Russia was massively attacking the energy system and urged the population to stay in shelters until the shelling stopped. Despite the attack, Zelenskyy emphasized the unity of Ukrainians on this Christmas Day, noting that they stand together and evil will not prevail as long as they remain united. This is only the second time in modern Ukrainian history that Christmas is celebrated on December 25, a departure from the traditional January 7 observance.
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