At least 3 people were killed, including a child, as Russia launched a large-scale missile and drone attack across Ukraine overnight on Tuesday, striking multiple regions and again targeting critical energy infrastructure.
Moscow has repeatedly targeted civilian and energy infrastructure during winter months, a strategy Kyiv says is aimed at putting pressure on the population.
JOIN US ON TELEGRAM
Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.
Explosions were reported across multiple regions, including Rivne and the Ivano-Frankivsk region in the far west, with hits recorded in the towns of Burshtyn and Rohatyn. The blasts were also heard near Cherkasy, as well as in Odesa, Khmelnytskyi, Ternopil, and Zhytomyr regions.
In Kyiv’s Sviatoshynskyi district, debris from drones fell near a residential building, damaging windows on the fifth floor and trapping some residents inside their apartments, Mayor Vitalii Klitschko said.
In Vyshhorod – a town on the outskirts of the capital – a 76-year-old woman was killed during the attack, and three others were injured.
In Zhytomyr Oblast, authorities said a 4-year-old child was killed, and at least six people were injured in the attack.
The region has been under Russian air attacks for the second consecutive day. Residential buildings, private civilian businesses, and a shop were damaged in the strikes.
One person was also killed in the western Khmelnytskyi region.
Ukraine’s Air Force reported that Russian forces launched 635 drones and 38 missiles, including Kinzhal aeroballistic and Kh-101 and Iskander-K cruise missiles, overnight. Air defenses intercepted or destroyed 621 of the targets, including 587 drones and 34 missiles.
Ukraine’s Drone Forces Strike Russian Training Ground in Zaporizhzhia
President Volodymyr Zelensky said the attack “sends a clear signal about Russia’s priorities.”
“A strike before Christmas, when people just want to be home with their families, in safety. The attack comes amid ongoing negotiations to end this war. Putin cannot accept that he must stop killing. This shows the world is not putting enough pressure on Russia,” he wrote on Telegram on Tuesday.
Power Grid Hit, Emergency Outages Introduced
Ukraine’s Energy Ministry said the strikes disrupted the power system and forced emergency electricity outages in several regions.
The ministry said repair work would begin immediately once the security situation allows. Emergency responders and energy specialists will work to deal with the consequences of the strikes and restore electricity supply as quickly as possible.
At the same time, national grid operator Ukrenergo said emergency shutdowns were introduced due to a massive missile and drone attack on energy facilities. Power restrictions will remain in place until the situation in the energy system stabilizes.
Christmas Strike Fears
The attack followed warnings from President Volodymyr Zelensky that Russia could intensify strikes during the Christmas period.
Speaking on Dec. 22, Zelensky said Russia has a pattern of launching large attacks during holidays and urged heightened attention to air defenses and civilian protection on Dec. 23–25.
Russia has rejected calls for a Christmas ceasefire. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said earlier this month that a truce would give Ukraine time to regroup.
“We want peace. We do not want a truce just to give Ukraine a breather and prepare for continuing the war,” Russian President Vladimir Putin’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov said.
Previous holiday ceasefires — including those announced by Moscow – have repeatedly collapsed.
Russian long-range attacks on Ukrainian cities have continued in recent months despite US-led efforts to push for negotiations to end the war.
While several rounds of talks have taken place, prospects for a breakthrough remain uncertain, with Moscow showing no sign of retreating from its maximalist demands.
You can also highlight the text and press Ctrl + Enter
ANALYSIS: Russia’s Air Defense Problems Are Growing
