Russia-Ukraine war live: Russia carried out ‘massive attack’ on Ukrainian energy system, says Russian Defense Ministry | World news

On December 25, 2024By Littum

Here’s more from Russian Ministry of Defense on its attack on Ukraine.

In a statement it said:

This morning, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation launched a massive attack with long-range precision weapons and attack drones against critical facilities of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure that support the work of the military-industrial complex.

The goal of the strike was achieved. All facilities are affected.

Key events

Moldova says Russian missile ‘violated’ its airspace

President of Moldova Maia Sandu. Photo: Dumitru Doru/EPA

Moldova President Maia Sandu said a Russian missile was detected in its airspace.

She wrote on X and said:

While our countries celebrate Christmas, the Kremlin chooses destruction – targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and violating Moldova’s airspace with a missile, actions that clearly violate international law. Moldova condemns these actions and stands in full solidarity with Ukraine.

Meanwhile Nato member Romania said it hadn’t detected any Russian missile passing through its airspace to the target Ukraine as claimed by Kiev.

Here are some more details on Russia’s attack on Ukraine’s energy system.

The strikes included 78 air-, ground- and sea-launched missiles, as well as 106 Shaheds and other types of drones, Ukrainesaid air force.

It claimed to have intercepted 59 missiles and 54 drones, with 52 more drones stuck.

The Pope calls for an end to the war in Ukraine

Pope Francis delivers the Urbi et Orbi message and blessing from the main balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica as part of the Christmas celebrations in St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican. Photo: Alberto Pizzoli/AFP/Getty Images

Pope Francis has called for an end to the war in Ukraine in his traditional Christmas Day speech in Rome.

He said:

May the sound of guns be silenced in war-torn Ukraine. May there be the boldness necessary to open the door to negotiations and to gestures of dialogue and meeting, to achieve a just and lasting peace.

Here are some pictures coming to us over the wires from Ukraine.

Military chaplain Yurii of the 24th Mechanized Brigade conducts a Christmas Day service for soldiers near the frontline town of Chasiv Yar, Donetsk region, Ukraine. Photo: Evgeniy Maloletka/AP

Servicemen from Ukraine’s 33rd Mechanized Brigade prepare a festive dinner on Christmas Eve in a frontline shelter in the Dnipropetrovsk region. Photo: Volodymyr Petrov/AP

A Ukrainian chaplain from the Khartya brigade stands by the tree, a colleague’s family on Christmas Eve. Photo: Anadolu/Getty Images

A woman was killed after falling debris from a Ukrainian drone that was shot down caused an explosion and a deadly fire at a mall in the city Vladikavkaz in Russia’s North Ossetia region, the local governor said on Wednesday.

Sergei Menyailo, the regional governor, wrote on his official Telegram account that air defense systems had shot down the drone at 0828 Moscow time (0528 GMT), Reuters reports.

Here’s more from Russian Ministry of Defense on its attack on Ukraine.

In a statement it said:

This morning, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation launched a massive attack with long-range precision weapons and attack drones against critical facilities of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure that support the work of the military-industrial complex.

The goal of the strike was achieved. All facilities are affected.

Ukraine’s The Air Force said it shot down 59 Russian-launched missiles and 54 drones, Reuters reports.

Russian forces have taken control of Vidrodzhennia – Tass

The Russian Ministry of Defense has said that Russian forces have taken control of the settlement of Vidrodzhennia in eastern Ukraine.

The Russian Defense Ministry says it carried out a “massive attack” on Ukraine’s energy system

Reuters reports that Russian The Ministry of Defense said it had carried out a “massive attack” on what it said were critical energy facilities in Ukraine which supports the work of Kiev’s military-industrial complex.

Four people were killed and five people were injured in the city Lgov in Russia’s Kursk region after Ukrainian shelling, the region’s acting governor said Wednesday.

“A five-story residential building, two one-story residential buildings and a one-story beauty salon were seriously damaged,” wrote Alexander Khinshtein on Telegram.

“The blast wave blew out windows in neighboring homes and damaged at least 12 cars. A small section of a gas pipeline was also destroyed by the blast.”

US ambassador to UkraineBridget Brink, has commented Russia’s attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.

She wrote on X and said:

Russia’s Christmas gift to Ukraine: more than 70 missiles and 100 drones, targeting Ukrainian families celebrating in their homes and the energy infrastructure that sustains them. For the third holiday season, Russia is weaponizing winter.

Half a million people without heat in Kharkiv region after Russian attack – Reuters

After the attack on Ukraine’s energy system, Reuters reports that half a million people in the Kharkiv region was left without heating on Christmas Day, in temperatures just a few degrees Celsius above zero. Meanwhile, there were power outages in the capital Kiev and elsewhere.

Russia has intensified attacks on Ukraine’s energy sector since the spring of this year, damaging almost half of its production capacity and causing prolonged blackouts.

Here are some pictures coming to us over the wires from Ukraine.

Emergency services at work at the site of an apartment building destroyed by a Russian attack in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine. Photo: Ukrainian Emergency Service/AP

In Kharkiv, firefighters work at the site of residential buildings hit by a Russian drone strike. Photo: Sofiia Gatilova/Reuters

Firefighters work in the Dnipropetrovsk region at the site of a Russian missile attack. Photo: State emergency services of Ukraine/Reuters

People seek shelter in a metro station during an air raid alert on December 25 amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine in Kiev. Photo: Thomas Peter/Reuters

We have more on Russia’s strike on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.

Maxim Timchenko, CEO of DTEK, Ukraine’s largest private energy company, whose equipment was severely damaged in the attack, wrote on his X account:

Denying light and warmth to millions of peace-loving people as they celebrate Christmas is a depraved and evil act that must be answered.

Here is Chairman Zelensky’s full response to the attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, which he posted on Telegram.

Any massive Russian attack requires time to prepare. It is never a spontaneous decision. It is a conscious choice – not only of goals, but also of timing and date.

Today, Putin deliberately chose Christmas for an attack. What could be more inhumane? Over 70 missiles, including ballistic, and more than a hundred attack drones. The targets are our energy infrastructure.

They continue to fight for a blackout in Ukraine. According to preliminary reports, our defenders managed to shoot down more than 50 missiles and a significant number of drones.

Unfortunately, there have been hits. Right now there are power outages in several regions. Energy engineers are working to restore power as soon as possible.

I thank everyone who works for the country, who is on combat duty, who protects our skies. We will restore the maximum. Russian evil will not break Ukraine and will not destroy Christmas.

Hello and welcome to the Ukraine live blog.

We start with news Russia has launched a major Christmas morning attack on Ukraine’s energy system and cities in its eastern region with cruise and ballistic missiles, Ukrainian officials said.

The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyydescribed the attack as “inhumane” and rounded on Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin.

“Today, Putin deliberately chose Christmas to attack. What could be more inhumane? More than 70 missiles, including ballistic missiles, and more than a hundred attack drones,” Zelenskyy said on the Telegram messenger.

He said there were hits and blackouts in several regions due to the strike. “The targets are our energy. They continue to fight for a blackout in Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said.

Zelenskyy said Ukraine’s air defense shot down more than 50 Russian missiles in Wednesday’s attack.

In further development:

At least three people were injured in a missile attack on Kharkiv in northeastern Ukraine, the city’s mayor, Ihor Terekhov, said: “Kharkiv is under a massive missile attack. A number of explosions were heard in the city and ballistic missiles are still heading towards the city,” Terekhov wrote on Telegram early Wednesday.

Ukraine’s largest private energy company, DTEK, whose equipment was severely damaged in the attack, said on the Telegram messaging app: “This year is the 13th massive attack on the Ukrainian energy sector and the 10th massive attack on the company’s energy facilities. “