Putin is “inhuman,” Zelensky says as Russia bombs Ukraine’s power grid on Christmas Day

CNN
—

Russia launched an “inhumane” attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure on Christmas Day, with explosions reported across the country, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

According to DTEK, the country’s largest energy supplier, it is the thirteenth time this year that Russia has carried out a major attack on Ukraine’s power grid, putting the country in a precarious position as the war enters its third winter.

At least one person died in the attacks in the eastern Dnipropetrovsk region, while six others were injured in Kharkiv – less than 20 miles from the Russian border, Ukrainian national police said, adding that residential buildings and civilian infrastructure were damaged in the attack became. At least seven rocket attacks targeted the city, regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said.

With temperatures of 3 degrees Celsius (37 degrees Fahrenheit), half a million households in the Kharkiv region were left without heating. Kiev has imposed rolling blackouts to stabilize the power grid, DTEK said.

Before 2023, most Ukrainians celebrated Christmas on January 7 according to the Julian church calendar, but last year Zelensky signed a law formally changing the date to further distance the country from – and bring it in line with – the traditions of the Russian Orthodox Church bring with much of the rest of Europe.

Ukraine established its own independent Orthodox Church of Ukraine in 2018, splitting from the Moscow-affiliated Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC). Since then, religious affiliation has increasingly been viewed as a symbol of national loyalty.

The holiday is now celebrated by Ukrainian Orthodox Christians on December 25, and Zelensky said Russia’s intentions were clear.

“Any massive Russian attack requires time to prepare. It is never a spontaneous decision. “It is a conscious choice – not only of the goals, but also of the time and date,” Zelenskyy said.

“Putin deliberately chose Christmas as the target of attack today. What could be more inhumane?”

Russia fired more than 70 missiles, including ballistic missiles, and more than 100 attack drones at Ukraine’s energy infrastructure on Wednesday, he said, adding that more than 50 missiles were shot down as well as a “significant” number of drones.

“Unfortunately there are hits. There are currently power outages in several regions,” he added.

DTEK said the attacks severely damaged equipment at its thermal power plants across the country.

“This year, it is the thirteenth massive attack on the Ukrainian energy sector and the tenth massive attack on the company’s energy facilities,” the company said, adding that its thermal power plants have been shelled more than 200 times since the Russian all-out offensive began. Scale invasion in February 2022.

Russia has “again massively attacked the energy sector,” Ukrainian Energy Minister German Halushchenko said on his Facebook page. The Ukrainian energy supplier has imposed emergency power outages in several parts of the country, the minister added.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on

Maia Sandu, President of Moldova, said on Violated international law.” Moldova condemns these acts and expresses its full solidarity with Ukraine.”

The Romanian Defense Ministry said it could not confirm that Romanian airspace was crossed.

According to the Polish operational command, Poland deployed fighter jets in response to a Russian missile threat in western Ukraine.

Wednesday’s attack followed a deadly Russian attack on the town of Kryvyi Rih on Christmas Eve. At least one person was killed and 17 others injured after a Russian missile struck a residential building in the city – the hometown of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.