Zelenskyy denounces Russia's Christmas Day missile and drone attack on Ukraine as "inhumane"
Kyiv, Ukraine — Russia launched a massive missile and drone barrage targeting Ukraine's energy infrastructure on Wednesday, striking a thermal power plant and prompting Ukrainians to take shelter in metro stations on Christmas morning, Ukrainian officials said.
Russia's Defense Ministry said it had carried out a "massive strike" on what it said were critical energy facilities in Ukraine that support the work of Kyiv's military-industrial complex, Reuters reported.
The Russian attack left half a million people in the Kharkiv region without heat with temperatures just a little above zero Celsius and there were blackouts in the capital, Kyiv, and elsewhere, Reuters added.
The strikes wounded at least six people in Kharkiv and killed one in the Dnipropetrovsk region, the governors there said, according to Reuters.
In a statement on X, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said over 70 missiles, including ballistic missiles, and over 100 attack drones were used to strike Ukraine's power sources.
"Putin deliberately chose Christmas for an attack. What could be more inhumane?" Zelenskyy said. "They continue to fight for a blackout in Ukraine."
Ukraine shot down 59 of 78 Russian missiles and 54 of 102 drones, Reuters cites Ukraine's military as saying.
"In the early hours of Christmas, Russia launched waves of missiles and drones against Ukrainian cities and critical energy infrastructure. The purpose of this outrageous attack was to cut off the Ukrainian people's access to heat and electricity during winter and to jeopardize the safety of its grid," President Biden said Wednesday. "Let me be clear: the Ukrainian people deserve to live in peace and safety, and the United States and the international community must continue to stand with Ukraine until it triumphs over Russia's aggression."
Ukrainian Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko said Russia again "massively attacks energy infrastructure," in a Facebook statement. Ukraine's Air Force noted multiple missiles fired at Kharkiv, Dnipro and Poltava regions east of the country.
"The (electricity) distribution system operator takes the necessary measures to limit consumption to minimize negative consequences for the power system," he said. "As soon as the security situation allows, energy workers will establish the damage caused."
Ukraine's biggest private energy company, DTEK, said Russia struck one of its thermal power plants, making it the 13th attack on Ukraine's power grid this year.
"Denying light and warmth to millions of peace-loving people as they celebrate Christmas is a depraved and evil act that must be answered," Maxim Timchenko, CEO of DTEK wrote on his X account.
Ukrainian state energy operator Ukrenergo instituted preemptive power outages across the country due to a "massive missile attack," leading to electricity going out in several districts of the capital, Kyiv.
At least seven strikes targeted Kharkiv, sparking fires across the city, regional head Oleh Syniehubov wrote on Telegram. At least three people were injured, local authorities said.
"Kharkiv is under massive missile fire. A series of explosions rang out in the city and there are still ballistic missiles flying in the direction of the city. Stay in safe places," Kharkiv mayor Ihor Terekhov said.
Ukraine's energy grid has been heavily targeted since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, with Kyiv accusing Moscow of "terror" tactics by trying to plunge Ukrainian cities into darkness and cut off heating to civilians throughout the winter.