Wed Dec 25 15:03:19 UTC 2024: ## Russia Launches Christmas Day Missile Attack on Ukraine’s Energy Grid

**Kyiv, Ukraine** – Russia launched a devastating missile attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure on Christmas Day, leaving hundreds of thousands without power and heating in sub-freezing temperatures. The attack, the thirteenth major assault on the grid this year, resulted in at least one death and multiple injuries across the country.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the attack as “inhumane,” highlighting its deliberate timing and targeting of civilian infrastructure. He reported that over 70 missiles and 100 drones were launched, with over 50 missiles intercepted by Ukrainian air defenses. Despite this, several regions experienced blackouts.

The eastern Dnipropetrovsk region saw at least one fatality, while six more were injured in Kharkiv, where seven missile strikes hit residential areas and left half a million homes without heating. Kyiv implemented rolling blackouts to stabilize the remaining grid. DTEK, Ukraine’s largest energy provider, reported severe damage to its thermal power plants, stating that they’ve been shelled over 200 times since the war began.

Ukraine’s energy minister, German Halushchenko, confirmed the large-scale attack on the energy sector and the subsequent emergency blackouts. Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha reported a Russian missile violating Moldovan and Romanian airspace, a claim Moldova confirmed, while Romania’s defense ministry stated they couldn’t confirm airspace violation. Poland scrambled fighter jets in response to a separate missile threat in western Ukraine.

This Christmas Day attack comes just one day after a deadly Russian strike on Kryvyi Rih, Zelenskyy’s hometown, killing at least one and injuring 17. In Russia, an explosion at a Vladikavkaz shopping center was attributed to falling debris from a downed drone. Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces claimed to have attacked a Russian command post in the Kursk region.

The timing of the attack, coinciding with the Ukrainian Orthodox Christmas celebration (shifted from January 7th last year), further fueled condemnation. Zelenskyy emphasized the deliberate nature of the attack, highlighting Russia’s calculated choice of date and target. The attack underscores the ongoing precariousness of the situation in Ukraine as the conflict enters its third winter.

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