KYIV: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday (Dec 25) denounced an “inhumane” attack from Russia, which launched dozens of missiles and drones on his war-torn country’s energy grid on Christmas Day, killing one and causing widespread blackouts.
The country woke up at 5.30am local time to an air raid alarm, shortly followed by air force reports that Russia had launched Kalibr cruise missiles from the Black Sea.
“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. The target is our energy system,” Zelenskyy said.
This was the 13th large-scale strike on Ukraine’s energy system this year, the latest in Russia’s campaign targeting the power grid during winter.
Ukraine said a Russian missile went through Moldovan and Romanian airspace, but Romania said it detected no such violation.
Ukraine’s air force shot down over 50 missiles, Zelenskyy said.
“Unfortunately, there are some hits. As of now, there are blackouts in several regions,” he said.
Ukraine’s DTEK energy company said the attack severely damaged equipment of thermal power plants.
“Denying light and warmth to millions of peace-loving people as they celebrate Christmas is a depraved and evil act that must be answered,” DTEK CEO Maxim Timchenko said, urging allies to send more air defence.
“NOTHING SACRED”
Engineers were working to repair the system, as regional officials reported power cuts.
“Christmas morning has once again shown that nothing is sacred for the aggressor country,” said Svitlana Onyshchuk, the head of the Ivano-Frankivsk region.
She said part of the region was without electricity “at a time when we celebrate one of the greatest religious holidays – the bright Christmas”.
Ukraine is officially celebrating Christmas on Dec 25 for a second year.
The government last year changed the date from Jan 7, when most Orthodox believers celebrate, as a snub to Russia.
The Christmas Day attack targeted central Dnipropetrovsk, whose governor Sergiy Lysak said Russia was “trying to destroy the region’s power system”.
The attacks killed at least one person in the Dnipropetrovsk, Lysak said.
Rescue operations had been completed on the site of a strike on Kryvyi Rig, which killed one person and wounded 17 others the day before.
Russia launched 12 missiles toward Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city near the Russian border, targeting the city’s boiler houses, thermal power plants and electricity facilities, mayor Igor Terekhov said.
The attack wounded four in Kharkiv and cut heating to part of the city, he added.
Source: CNA
