There is no respite for Christmas. Russia launched a massive air strike against Ukraine overnight, hitting cities across the country with ballistic missiles and drones. As the Kiev Independent reports, “the north-eastern city of Kharkiv was among the hardest hit”. At least three injured. Explosions were also reported in Dnipro and Kremenchuk. The attack was conducted with 70 missiles and 100 drones. Zelensky therefore defined Putin as “inhuman”. A missile crossed the airspace of Moldova and Romania, a NATO partner country.
It is the second time that Ukraine celebrates Christmas on December 25, respecting the Western calendar and not the Orthodox one: a decision taken by Zelensky in July 2023 to distance himself from the Russian church. The 33rd brigade released photos of the troops' Spartan dinners.
The war in Ukraine, what is there to know?
Dossier – War trails
Live news from the Ukraine-Russia conflict
13:16
Moscow: “Missile attack against Ukraine, objective achieved”
The Russian Defense Ministry confirms that it attacked Ukrainian energy infrastructure this morning and that it “achieved the target”. “This morning, the Russian Armed Forces launched a massive strike with long-range precision weapons and unmanned aerial vehicles on sensitive sites of Ukraine's energy infrastructure in support of the functioning of the country's military-industrial sector. attack has been reached. All sites have been hit.” Kiev spoke of 70 missiles and 100 drones launched against the country. Zelensky spoke of an “inhuman” act by Putin on Christmas Day.
10:41
Bucharest: “We have not detected any missiles in our airspace”
Romanian authorities have denied that a Russian missile crossed the country's airspace this morning, as claimed by the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry. “We did not detect any violations.” Bucharest is a NATO partner and a similar incident could cause new tensions between the Atlantic Alliance and the Russian Federation.
10:06
Kiev: “A Russian missile crossed the airspace of Moldova and Romania”
According to Kiev authorities, a Russian missile fired against Ukraine crossed the airspace of Moldova and Romania, the latter being a member of the European Union and NATO. The Russians launched a massive “Christmas attack” against Ukraine, described as “inhumane” by President Zelensky, conducted with 70 missiles and a hundred drones.
09:06
Zelensky: “An inhuman attack from Moscow, more than 70 missiles and 100 drones”
On Christmas night, Russia launched “over 70 missiles, including ballistic missiles, and more than a hundred attack drones against Ukraine. The targets are our energy infrastructure. They continue to fight for a blackout of Ukraine” . The Ukrainian president writes it Volodymyr Zelensky on X. “There are currently power outages in several regions,” he said. “Every massive Russian attack takes time to prepare. It is never a spontaneous decision. It is a deliberate choice, not only of targets but also of times and dates. Today, Putin ha deliberately chosen Christmas for an attack. What could it be more inhumane?“.
07:47
Dtek power plants hit and damaged
The Russian attack this Christmas morning hit the power plants of Ukraine's largest private energy company, DTEK, causing severe damage to equipment. “This year, this is the 13th massive attack on the Ukrainian energy sector and the 10th massive attack on the company's energy facilities.”
06:44
Russia intercepts Ukrainian drones in Belgorod and Voronezh
The Russian Ministry of Defense announced that in the last few hours 59 Ukrainian drones have been intercepted on Russian territory, including 26 in the Belgorod region and 23 in the Voronezh region. Voronezh Governor Alexander Gusev wrote on Telegram that debris from the downed drones damaged a power line and caused minor material damage to several houses.
06:10
The Kiev government: “Russians are attacking energy infrastructure”
The Ukrainian Energy Ministry has announced that the attacks carried out by Russians with ballistic missiles and drones on Christmas night were aimed at the energy sector. The national electricity company Ukrenergo announced supply restrictions due to the massive missile attack
06:08
Not only Kharkiv in the sights. Explosions also in Dnipro and Kremenchuk
The missile attack launched by Russia on Christmas night was larger than just Kharkiv, which at the moment appears to be the most affected city. Explosions were also recorded in Dnipro and Kremenchuk. The Air Force reported that Russian Tu-95 strategic bombers took off overnight, later announcing that a number of Kalibr cruise missiles had been launched from the Black Sea. In Kharkiv, a series of explosions were reported after the Air Force had warned of a ballistic missile threat against the city. At least seven rocket attacks hit Kharkiv, according to regional governor Oleh Syniehubov. The attacks caused fires and damage to civilian infrastructure, Syniehubov said.
05:48
Missiles on Kharkiv: the first toll speaks of “at least three wounded”
The update published by the mayor of Kharkiv on Telegram speaks of two seriously injured people in the Saltiv district and another person hit in the Saltivskyi area.
05:46
Photo – The construction of trenches on the front
In these photos published by the Reuters agency, an example of fortification construction on the Ukrainian front, to be precise in the Kharkiv area.
05:33
Kalibr missile launches on Kharkiv. Drone attack on other cities
The Air Force command of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, according to media reports, confirms the launch of Russian missiles towards the Kharkiv area. From information released through Telegram, these would be Kalibr cruise missiles. Furthermore, Ukraine is still under attack from Russian drones. “Shahed” type drones were recorded in the north of Chernihiv oblast, in the north of Sumy oblast, in the east and south of Poltava oblast, and in the west of Kharkiv oblast.
05:30
The mayor of Kharkiv: “Stay in safe places”
Igor Terekhov, mayor of Kharkiv, published an alert on Telegram: “A series of explosions occurred in the city and there are still ballistic missile launches towards the city. Stay in safe places.”
05:23
“Massive missile attack on Kharkiv”: the mayor's announcement
The mayor of Kharkiv has announced that a “massive attack” with ballistic missiles is underway on the city. There are no other details at the moment.
02:45
Ballistic missile hits building in Kryvyi Rih: one dead and 15 injured
A ballistic missile hit a residential building on Christmas Eve in the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih on Tuesday, killing one person and injuring 15, including four seriously, local authorities said. Ukrainian officials denounced the attack on the city, the president's hometown Volodymyr Zelensky. “The monsters directly hit a four-story residential building with 32 apartments,” he wrote on Telegram Oleksandr Vilkulhead of the city's military administration.
02:29
Christmas dinner on the Ukrainian front: the photos released by the army
Late in the evening of December 24, the Ukrainian army released photos of the “festive dinners” that the 33rd mechanized brigade prepared to celebrate Christmas.
A photo of kutia, a traditional porridge-like dish prepared with cooked cereals, usually wheat or barley, poppy seeds and honey.
00:01
Zelensky: “2025 becomes the year of just peace for Ukraine”
“On Christmas Eve, I spoke with His Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. I expressed my gratitude for his spiritual support to Ukraine and prayers for the Ukrainian people.” The Ukrainian president writes it on X Volodymyr Zelensky. “We deeply appreciate the efforts of the Patriarchate aimed at strengthening support for Ukraine within the world religious community and its contribution to the spiritual independence of our nation,” continues Zelensky. Ukraine is doing everything possible so that 2025 becomes a year of just and lasting peace for our country and for the entire world”.
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