Russian attacks kill one in Ukraine, damage energy infrastructure

One killed in southern Ukraine city of Kherson as Russian missiles cause significant damage to energy infrastructure.

Russian missiles killed at least one person, injured three in southern Ukraine and damaged energy infrastructure across Ukraine.

The governor of Kherson announced the casualties on Wednesday morning.

Local authorities and the air force also reported missile overflights in the eastern, central, southern and western regions.

In northeastern Ukraine, at least six people were wounded in a missile attack on Kharkiv, Governor Oleh Syniehubov said.

The Ukrainian air force said the missiles fired at Kharkiv were ballistic.

Meanwhile, in Dnipropetrovsk, Governor Serhiy Lysak said Russia was aiming at a power grid.

Ukraine’s Energy Minister German Galushchenko said on Facebook that Russia “is massively attacking the power sector” and that the transmission system operator had restricted electricity supply to minimise the effect.

The country’s largest private energy company, DTEK, said its generating facilities were attacked during the strike, causing serious damage to power equipment.

“This year, it is the 13th massive attack on the Ukrainian energy sector and the 10th massive attack on the company’s energy facilities,” DTEK said on Telegram.

DTEK CEO Maxim Timchenko said on X that Ukraine’s allies must give it more advanced air defences to protect essential energy infrastructure.

Ongoing attacks on energy infrastructure

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on X that there were power outages in several regions as a result of Russia’s attacks.

Russia has intensified its attacks on the Ukrainian energy sector for months, damaging nearly half its generating capacity.

Every massive Russian strike requires time for preparation. It is never a spontaneous decision. It is a deliberate choice – not only of targets but also of timing and date.

Today, Putin deliberately chose Christmas for an attack. What could be more inhumane? Over 70 missiles,… pic.twitter.com/GMD8rTomoX

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) December 25, 2024

Russian President Vladimir Putin pledged to inflict “destruction” on Ukraine earlier this week after Ukrainian drones struck residential buildings in the Russian city of Kazan.

Ukraine has regularly appealed to its allies for more robust air defence systems to thwart Russian attacks on the war-battered country’s power system.

Last month, Washington cleared Ukraine to use US-made long-range missiles against military targets inside Russia, prompting fiery rhetoric and vows of retaliation from Moscow.

In November, Russia launched nearly 200 missiles and drones targeting Ukraine’s energy grid, with President Zelenskyy alleging “cluster munitions” were fired in what he called a “despicable escalation” almost three years into the war.

Both sides are scrambling to gain the upper hand in advance of Donald Trump being inaugurated as United States president in January.

The Republican president-elect has promised to bring a swift end to the conflict, without proposing any concrete terms for a ceasefire or peace deal.

Moscow’s army claims to have seized more than 190 Ukrainian settlements this year, with Kyiv struggling to hold the line in the face of manpower and ammunition shortages.