Entire oblasts in Ukraine 'almost completely without power' after mass Russian missile, drone attack
Editor's note: This is a developing story and is being updated.
At least three people have been killed, and 12 others injured in a massive Russian missile and drone attack on multiple oblasts of Ukraine overnight on Dec. 23.
The assault once again targeted Ukraine's energy infrastructure and Rivne, Ternopil, and Khmelnytskyi oblasts in the country's west "are almost completely without electricity," the Energy Ministry said.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russia launched more than 650 drones and over three dozen missiles targeting "the entire infrastructure of life." At least 13 oblasts were attacked, he added.
Ukraine's Air Force later reported that Russia launched 635 drones and 38 missiles, with air defenses intercepting 587 drones, and 34 missiles. Thirty-nine drones made it through, striking 21 locations.
Ukraine's Energy Ministry said that emergency power outages have been implemented in several regions across the country amid Russia's targeting of energy infrastructure.
"As soon as the security situation allows, rescue teams and energy specialists will begin addressing the consequences of the attack to restore electricity supply in the regions as quickly as possible," the Energy Ministry said in a statement.
Ukraine's Deputy Energy Minister Artem Nekrasov said during a briefing on Dec. 23 that as a result of the attack Ukraine's nuclear power plants have been forced to reduce their generation capacity.
"The capacity of power plants will be gradually increased to nominal values as soon as energy companies restore the networks damaged by the enemy," Nekrasov said.
Russian strikes damaged thermal power plants facilities operated by Ukraine's largest private energy company, DTEK, the company said in a statement, the seventh such attack since October.
Russian attacks also damaged production facilities belonging to Ukrnafta, a state-owned oil and gas extraction company and subsidiary of Naftogaz, Naftogaz CEO Serhii Koretskyi said.
"There were no casualties — that is the main thing. However, there is destruction, work has been suspended, and urgent repairs are underway," Koretskyi wrote on Facebook.
Koretskyi did not provide details on which facilities were affected or the regions where they are located.
Zaporizhstal, one of Ukraine's largest steel makers, was completely cut off from power, which led to an emergency shutdown of production, its press service said.
In Zhytomyr Oblast, the attack killed a four-year-old child, and injured five people, Vitaliy Bunechko, head of the Zhytomyr Oblast Military Administration, reported.
In Kyiv Oblast, one person was killed and three others injured, Governor Mykola Kalashnyk reported.
Kyiv's mayor, Vitali Klitschko said that four people were injured in the city's Sviatoshynskyi district, where a five-storey apartment building was damaged.
In Khmelnytskyi Oblast, one person was killed, Governor Serhii Tiurin said.
In Rivne Oblast, approximately 300,000 consumers were left without electricity due to damage to a power facility, according to Governor Oleksandr Koval.
"This Russian strike sends an extremely clear signal about Russia's priorities."
Lviv Oblast Governor, Maksym Kozytskyi, said that Russia attacked a critical energy infrastructure facility in the region.
In Odesa Oblast, energy, port, transport, industrial, and residential infrastructures were damaged, Governor Oleh Kiper reported. In the Chernihiv and Sumy oblasts, Russian attacks damaged critical and civilian infrastructure, governors Viacheslav Chaus and Oleh Hryhorov reported.
Explosions also were reported in the western communities of Burshtyn and Rohatyn, both located in Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast, as well as on the outskirts of the city of Cherkasy, public broadcaster Suspilne reported.
Poland scrambled its fighter jets and put ground-based air defense and radar detection systems on alert in response to the attack, the country's armed forces said.
The attack comes as President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that Ukrainians should brace for mass Russian missile and drone strikes over the Christmas period.
"This Russian strike sends an extremely clear signal about Russia's priorities. An attack ahead of Christmas, when people simply want to be with their families, at home, and safe," Zelensky said.
"An attack carried out essentially in the midst of negotiations aimed at ending this war. Putin still cannot accept that he must stop killing. And that means that the world is not putting enough pressure on Russia."
Russia rejected a Christmas truce because it could give Ukraine a temporary respite, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Dec. 16.
Peskov's comment came after numerous temporary truces on religious holidays, including those initiated by Moscow, were previously broken by Russian forces.
Russian forces have regularly attacked Ukrainian cities in recent months amid U.S. efforts to negotiate the end of Russia's war in Ukraine.
Despite multiple rounds of negotiations, the fate of ongoing peace talks remains uncertain amid Moscow's refusal to budge from its maximalist demands in Ukraine.
