Russia launched an enormous missile and drone bombardment of Ukraine’s vitality infrastructure on Wednesday, hitting a thermal energy plant and sending Ukrainians taking refuge in subway stations on Christmas morning.
The assaults on Ukrainian gas and vitality sources included 78 air, land and sea missiles, in addition to 106 Shahed and different sorts of drones, the Ukrainian Air Force mentioned. It mentioned it intercepted 59 missiles and 54 drones, with one other 52 drones blocked.
“(Russian President Vladimir) Putin intentionally selected Christmas for an assault. What may very well be extra inhumane?” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy advised X. “They proceed to struggle for a blackout in Ukraine.”
In Russia, in the meantime, a girl died and three individuals have been injured after falling particles from a downed drone brought about a hearth at a shopping center within the metropolis of Vladikavkaz. The head of Russia’s North Ossetia-Alania republic, Governor Sergey Menyaylo, mentioned safety footage confirmed the explosion occurred Wednesday morning exterior the Alania procuring heart.
At least one individual was killed within the Russian assault on Ukraine’s Dnipro area, Deputy Prime Minister Oleksii Kuleba mentioned on Telegram, including that heating was minimize off in 155 residential buildings. He additionally mentioned that 500,000 individuals within the Kharkiv area are with out heating.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha mentioned {that a} Russian missile handed the airspace of Moldova and Romania.
Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko mentioned Russia was “massively attacking vitality infrastructure.” The Ukrainian Air Force mentioned a number of missiles have been fired on the Kharkiv, Dnipro and Poltava areas within the east of the nation.
Halushchenko mentioned the vitality distributor had taken essential measures to restrict consumption. “As quickly as the protection state of affairs permits, vitality employees will decide the injury brought about,” he mentioned. State vitality operator Ukrenergo has utilized preventive energy cuts throughout the nation because of a “huge missile assault,” which led to electrical energy cuts in a number of neighborhoods of the capital, Kiev.
Ukraine’s largest non-public vitality firm, DTEK, mentioned Russia struck one among its thermal energy crops on Wednesday morning, making it the thirteenth assault on Ukraine’s energy grid this yr.
“Denying gentle and heat to tens of millions of peace-loving individuals as they have a good time Christmas is a wicked and evil act that should be responded to,” wrote Maxim Timchenko, CEO of DTEK on his X account.
At least seven assaults focused Kharkiv, inflicting fires throughout the town, regional head Oleh Syniehubov wrote on Telegram. At least three individuals have been injured, native authorities mentioned.
“Kharkiv is underneath huge missile hearth. A sequence of explosions ring out within the metropolis and there are nonetheless ballistic missiles flying within the path of the town. Stay in secure locations,” mentioned Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov.
The Russian Defense Ministry mentioned in its morning report on Wednesday that it shot down 59 Ukrainian drones in a single day, together with over the Belgorod, Voronezh, Kursk, Bryansk and Tambov areas, in addition to the Sea of Azov. The incident in North Ossetia-Alania will not be talked about.
Four individuals have been additionally killed following Ukrainian shelling within the metropolis of Lgov within the Kursk area, regional head Alexander Khinshtein mentioned. Three individuals died after a number of residential blocks and a nail salon have been hit. Another individual later died in hospital.
Originally printed:
