Russia launched an enormous missile and drone barrage focusing on Ukraine’s power infrastructure on Wednesday, putting a thermal energy plant and prompting Ukrainians to take shelter in metro stations on Christmas morning.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned over 70 missiles, together with ballistic missiles, and over 100 assault drones have been used to strike Ukraine’s energy sources, in an announcement on X.
Not less than one individual was killed within the Dnipro area within the assault, Ukrainian Vice Prime Minister Oleksiy Kuleba mentioned on messaging app Telegram, including that heating was disrupted for 155 residential buildings in the Ivano-Frankivsk area. He additionally mentioned 500,000 recipients or 2,677 buildings in Kharkiv area have been with out warmth.
Ukrainian International Minister Andrii Sybiha mentioned one Russian missile handed Moldovan and Romanian airspace.
“Putin intentionally selected Christmas for an assault. What could possibly be extra inhumane?” Zelenskyy mentioned. “They proceed to battle for a blackout in Ukraine.”
He mentioned Ukraine has managed to shoot down not less than 50 missiles and a major variety of drones.
Each large Russian strike requires time for preparation. It’s by no means a spontaneous choice. It’s a deliberate selection – not solely of targets but additionally of timing and date.
Right now, Putin intentionally selected Christmas for an assault. What could possibly be extra inhumane? Over 70 missiles,… pic.twitter.com/GMD8rTomoX
The Russian Defence Ministry mentioned on Wednesday it had performed a “large strike” on what it mentioned have been essential power services in Ukraine that help the work of Kyiv’s military-industrial complicated.
It mentioned in the identical assertion that Russian forces had additionally taken management of the settlement of Vidrodzhennia in japanese Ukraine.
Ukrainian Vitality Minister Herman Halushchenko mentioned Russia once more “massively assaults power infrastructure,” in a Fb assertion. Ukraine’s Air Power alerted a number of missiles fired at Kharkiv, Dnipro and Poltava areas east of the nation.
“The [electricity] distribution system operator takes the required measures to restrict consumption to reduce unfavorable penalties for the facility system,” he mentioned. “As quickly because the safety scenario permits, power staff will set up the harm induced.”
Greater than a dozen assaults on Ukraine’s energy grid
Ukraine’s largest personal power firm, DTEK, mentioned Russia struck one in all their thermal energy vegetation 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 folks as they have fun Christmas is a wicked and evil act that should be answered,” Maxim Timchenko, CEO of DTEK, wrote on his X account.
Ukrainian state power operator, Ukrenergo, utilized preemptive energy outages throughout the nation, because of a “large missile assault,” resulting in electrical energy going out in a number of districts of the capital, Kyiv.
Not less than seven strikes focused Kharkiv, sparking fires throughout town, regional head Oleh Syniehubov wrote on Telegram. Not less than three folks have been injured, native authorities mentioned.
“Kharkiv is below large missile fireplace. A collection of explosions rang out within the metropolis and there are nonetheless ballistic missiles flying within the course of town. Keep in protected locations,” Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov mentioned.
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