Russian strikes kill civilians and cripple energy infrastructure across Ukraine

The attack hit multiple regions simultaneously, with Kyiv and western Ukraine among the hardest affected areas. In the capital, debris fell in the Sviatoshynskyi district, damaging residential buildings and injuring five people, including a child, according to the Kyiv City Military Administration. Several apartment blocks were damaged, and emergency services worked through the morning to clear debris and assist residents.

In Kyiv Oblast, a 76-year-old woman was killed after a private home caught fire in the Vyshhorod district. Three others were injured in the same area, local authorities said. In Zhytomyr Oblast, a four-year-old child died in hospital after being wounded in the strike, and five more people were injured, including another child.

A 72-year-old man was killed in Khmelnytskyi Oblast, officials confirmed.

Energy facilities were a primary target of the attack. Ukraine’s Energy Ministry said residents in Rivne, Ternopil, and Khmelnytskyi oblasts were almost completely without electricity, while emergency outages were also introduced in Vinnytsia, Chernihiv, Zhytomyr, Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Kyiv, Sumy, and Cherkasy oblasts. Nationwide emergency power shutdowns were imposed, temporarily replacing scheduled hourly outages.

In Odesa Oblast, Russian strikes damaged energy, port, transport, industrial, and residential infrastructure. Regional officials said windows and roofs were damaged in 122 private homes and several apartment buildings, while a cargo vessel was also affected.

Western Ukraine was again targeted, including the town of Burshtyn in Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast, where authorities confirmed strikes on critical infrastructure near the Burshtyn Thermal Power Plant. The facility, one of the largest power stations in western Ukraine, has been repeatedly attacked since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the timing of the attack underscored Moscow’s intentions.

“This strike clearly shows Russia’s priorities,” Zelenskyy said. “It came on the eve of Christmas, when people want to be with their families, at home, in safety. It came at the height of discussions aimed at ending the war. Putin cannot accept the need to stop killing. This means the pressure on Russia is still insufficient.”

Ukrainian air defenses intercepted a significant portion of the drones and missiles, but officials acknowledged that several strikes reached their targets, causing civilian casualties and extensive damage. Emergency crews continued repairs and rescue operations as authorities worked to stabilize the energy system.