Christmas terror: Night attack on Ukraine – a child killed, civilians injured, air defenses of neighboring countries put on alert

Russia once again employed the tactic of direct terror against the civilian population of Ukraine. On the night before Christmas, one of the most massive strikes since the beginning of the war was carried out across the country — using more than 650 drones and dozens of missiles. The targets were residential areas, energy infrastructure, and life-support facilities.

In the Zhytomyr region, a child born in 2021 died. He was taken to the hospital after the attack, but the doctors were powerless. This was reported by the head of the regional military administration, Vitaliy Bunechko. Six more people were injured, including two children. Houses, shops, and civilian infrastructure were damaged.

According to the Air Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, arrivals were recorded in 21 locations. Air defense forces destroyed 621 out of 673 aerial targets, including 34 out of 38 missiles and 587 out of 635 strike drones. Even with such a level of interception, Russia achieved its main goal — massive damage to the civilian population.

At least 13 regions of Ukraine were under attack. In Kyiv, the air raid lasted almost four and a half hours. After it was canceled, city authorities confirmed: five people were injured, including a 16-year-old teenager. In the Sviatoshyn district, debris from a “Shahed” damaged residential buildings, and one drone seriously destroyed a high-rise building. A woman was hospitalized.

Russia deliberately targeted the energy sector. The Ministry of Energy of Ukraine reported that all Ukrainian nuclear power plants reduced electricity generation due to the massive attack. Emergency shutdowns have been introduced across the country. Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko confirmed: the situation with electricity will remain extremely difficult in the near future.

According to “Ukrenergo”, Rivne, Ternopil, and Khmelnytskyi regions are almost completely without power. Serious disruptions in electricity supply were also recorded in Vinnytsia, Chernihiv, Zhytomyr, Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, and Kharkiv regions. Amid expected cooling down to −10 degrees, Russia is consciously creating the threat of a humanitarian catastrophe.

In the Kyiv region, in the Vyshhorod area, a two-story residential building caught fire after the strike. A 76-year-old woman died, and three more people were injured. In the Khmelnytskyi region, a 72-year-old man died. All the victims are civilians.

Amid the attack, Poland was forced to scramble fighter jets and bring air defense and radar systems to full readiness. Russian terror has ceased to be a local threat — it directly affects the security of EU countries.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized: on the eve of Christmas, Russia launched more than 650 drones and about three dozen missiles at Ukraine. Meanwhile, in Moscow, they continue to simulate “negotiations,” talk about “peace” and “security,” while in practice committing systematic war crimes.

This is not a war for territories and not a “military operation.” It is a deliberate strategy of intimidation, strikes on children, the elderly, hospitals, homes, and power plants. Russia acts as a terrorist state — consistently, publicly, and without attempts to hide its intentions. This reality is documented by NAnews — News of Israel | Nikk.Agency.