In a chilling escalation over the Christmas season, Russia launched a series of “massive” attacks across multiple Ukrainian cities overnight on Monday, President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed. The strikes mark a continuation of hostilities at a time when many Ukrainians hoped for peace, with at least three people killed, including a four-year-old child, and several others injured.
The offensive targeted energy infrastructure and residential areas, leaving numerous regions without power and plunging communities into hardship as temperatures are forecast to drop as low as -7°C. Ukrainian officials reported that Russia deployed over 600 drones and 30 missiles, intensifying the threat to civilians and critical infrastructure.
President Zelensky lamented the attacks, saying, “People simply want to be with their families, at home, and safe” during the holidays. He added that the strikes sent “an extremely clear signal about Russia’s priorities” despite ongoing peace negotiations. Zelensky criticized the global response, asserting, “Putin still cannot accept that he must stop killing. And that means that the world is not putting enough pressure on Russia.”
The dead included a four-year-old girl in the central Zhytomyr region, who succumbed to injuries despite doctors’ efforts, as confirmed by local official Vitaly Bunechko. A 76-year-old woman died in a house strike in the Kyiv region, while a 72-year-old man was killed in western Ukraine’s Khmelnytskyy region. Several others sustained injuries across different regions. In response to missile and drone activity over western Ukraine, Polish fighter jets were scrambled to intercept threats.
The Russian Defence Ministry claimed its operations focused on energy facilities and transportation infrastructure, according to state news agency Tass. Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces reportedly struck a petrochemical plant in Stravropol, southern Russia, causing large fires but no casualties or damage to nearby residential areas.
Ukraine’s energy sector is under extreme strain, with the acting energy minister, Artem Nekrasov, noting that this attack represents the ninth major strike on the country’s energy system this year. Supplies in the Rivne, Ternopil, and Khmelnytsky regions have been “almost completely” lost, and emergency power shutdowns have been announced nationwide. Ukrainian MP Oleksandr Merezhko warned that some areas could remain without power “for days.”
The recent attacks also come amid heightened tensions in the southern port city of Odesa, where Russia has threatened to sever Ukraine’s access to the Black Sea following Ukrainian drone strikes on vessels belonging to Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet,” which operate under Western sanctions.
Monday’s strikes punctuated a period of relative calm in Kyiv, where Shahed drones had not been spotted in recent weeks. Many in the capital suspect a link between the attacks and the recent assassination of a top Russian general, Lt. Gen. Fanil Sarvarov, in Moscow—a move Russia blames on Ukraine, though Kyiv has not commented.
The violence unfolded while diplomatic efforts continue, including US-led talks in Miami aimed at drafting proposals to end the war. Zelensky confirmed that a Christmas truce was proposed by the United States but rejected by Russia. Progress reports indicate that several draft documents have now been prepared, outlining potential frameworks for ending the conflict, future security guarantees for Ukraine, and post-war recovery plans. Russian President Vladimir Putin was scheduled to be briefed by envoy Kirill Dmitriev on the latest developments.
As the war grinds on during the festive season, civilians in Ukraine face mounting hardships, with energy shortages, destruction, and the constant threat of attacks shaping daily life. The latest wave of strikes underscores the fragility of the ongoing ceasefire hopes and the complex challenges in achieving lasting peace.