By Pavel Polityuk
kyiv (Reuters) – Russia attacked Ukraine’s vitality system and a few cities with cruise missiles, ballistic missiles and drones on Wednesday in an “inhumane” Christmas Day assault, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy mentioned.
Practically three years after the beginning of the warfare, strikes injured at the least six individuals within the northeastern metropolis of Kharkiv and killed one individual within the Dnipropetrovsk area, the area’s governors mentioned .
Within the Kharkiv area, half 1,000,000 individuals have been left with out warmth, in temperatures barely above freezing, whereas energy outages occurred within the capital kyiv and elsewhere.
“Right this moment, (Russian President Vladimir) Putin intentionally selected Christmas to assault. What could possibly be extra inhumane? Greater than 70 missiles, together with ballistic missiles, and greater than 100 assault drones,” he mentioned. -he declared.
“The targets are our vitality infrastructure. They proceed to combat for a blackout in Ukraine.”
Ukrainians celebrated their second Christmas on Wednesday, in keeping with a brand new calendar, a brand new step in direction of erasing Russian affect.
Most Ukrainians are Orthodox Christians and the Impartial Orthodox Church of Ukraine, established in 2018, agreed in 2023 to maneuver away from the normal Julian calendar utilized in Russia, the place Christmas is January 7.
Russia has intensified its assaults on Ukraine’s vitality sector since spring this 12 months, damaging nearly half of its manufacturing capability and inflicting extended energy outages.
“RUSSIA ARMS WINTER”
The Ukrainian Air Pressure mentioned Kharkiv was attacked by ballistic missiles. Regional Governor Oleh Syniehubov mentioned on Telegram that non-residential civilian infrastructure had been broken, with out giving additional particulars.
Dnipropetrovsk Governor Serhiy Lysak mentioned the demise occurred throughout an assault on regional energy services.
“Because the morning, the Russian military has been massively attacking the Dnipro area. It’s making an attempt to destroy the area’s electrical energy system,” he mentioned.
Ukrainian Power Minister German Galushchenko mentioned on Fb (NASDAQ:) that Russia was massively attacking the electrical energy sector and that restrictions on electrical energy provides have been in place.
Ukraine’s largest non-public vitality firm DTEK mentioned its manufacturing services have been attacked, with electrical tools severely broken, within the thirteenth large-scale assault on the vitality sector this 12 months.
“We name on all of Ukraine’s allies to finish this state terrorism now by offering our armed forces with the air protection munitions they should shield essential vitality infrastructure,” DTEK CEO mentioned , Maxim Timchenko, in a press launch.
Russia has not commented on the assaults.
“Russia’s Christmas reward to Ukraine: greater than 70 missiles and 100 drones, geared toward Ukrainian households celebrating of their houses and the vitality infrastructure that sustains them,” mentioned U.S. Ambassador Bridget Brink.
“For the third vacation season, Russia is utilizing winter as a weapon.”
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