LONDON — Ukrainians confronted recent Russian drone and missile strikes on vitality infrastructure nationwide on Tuesday night time into Christmas Day morning, with the vitality minister in Kyiv warning of quick energy cuts.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram, “Each Russian large strike takes time to organize. It’s by no means a spontaneous choice. It’s a acutely aware alternative not solely of targets, but in addition of time and date.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin, Zelenskyy stated, “intentionally selected Christmas for an assault. What could possibly be extra inhuman? Greater than 70 missiles, together with ballistic ones, and greater than 100 strike drones. The targets are our vitality sector. They proceed to battle for a blackout in Ukraine.”
“In keeping with preliminary information, our defenders managed to shoot down greater than 50 missiles and a major a part of the drones,” Zelenskyy stated. “Sadly, there are hits. As of now, there are outages in a number of areas. Power staff are working to revive the facility provide as quickly as potential.”
Folks take shelter at a metro station throughout an air raid alert in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Dec. 25, 2024.
Thomas Peter/Reuters
“The enemy assaults vitality once more massively,” Power Minister German Galushchenko wrote in an announcement posted to Fb early Wednesday. Grid operators, he added, have been implementing “vital consumption restriction measures to attenuate damaging penalties for the vitality system.”
When the safety state of affairs permits, “the facility firms will specify the injury induced,” Galushchenko added. “Keep tuned for official bulletins. Whereas the hazard lasts — keep in shelters!”
Russia’s Protection Ministry, in the meantime, stated its forces shot down 59 Ukrainian drones in a single day.
This 12 months is the second during which Ukraine will formally rejoice Christmas on Dec. 25. Beforehand, many Ukrainians celebrated Christmas in January per the Orthodox calendar, as Russian Orthodox adherents nonetheless do.
“For the second time, we rejoice Christmas on the identical date as one huge household, one nation,” Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram on Tuesday. “For the second time in fashionable historical past, Christmas unites all Ukrainians.”
“Right this moment, we stand aspect by aspect, and we won’t be misplaced,” Zelenskyy added. “In particular person, from afar, or in our hearts — Ukrainians are collectively in the present day. And so long as we do that, evil has no probability.”
Ukrainian troopers attend a Christmas Eve mass at a frontline place in Donetsk area, Ukraine, on Dec. 24, 2024.
Ukrainian Armed Forces/by way of Reuters
