Russia massively strikes Ukraine on December 23, killing civilians and destroying power grid
Photo: Russian combined strike was mainly directed at the west and center (facebook.com/DSNS)
On the night of December 23, Russia launched a massive combined attack on Ukraine with drones and missiles, mainly striking the west, resulting in deaths and injuries.
Read all about the consequences of the massive Russian attack on Ukraine in the RBC-Ukraine report.
Key points
- Russia launched a combined attack on Ukraine with over 650 drones and 30 missiles
- Russian attack came in waves: first Shahed drones, then missiles in the early morning
- Russia struck at least 13 Ukrainian regions, destroying energy infrastructure. Most of the damage is in the west of Ukraine.
- The Rivne, Ternopil, and Khmelnytskyi regions are almost completely without power. Emergency power cuts have been introduced throughout Ukraine.
- In Kyiv, a Russian drone crashed into the roof of a building. 5 people were injured.
- There are reports of casualties in the Zhytomyr, Kyiv, and Khmelnytskyi regions, including a child.
Initially, Russia launched hundreds of Shahed suicide drones at Ukraine in waves from different directions. At night, the Sumy and Chernihiv regions were particularly targeted by a massive Russian strike.
By dawn, according to monitoring channels, Russia had used cruise missiles from Tu-95MS, Tu-160, Kalibr from the sea, and Kinzhal from MiG-31K. Russian missiles mainly hit the center and the west of Ukraine.
Russia again focused on energy infrastructure. Due to the massive Russian attack, residents in the Rivne, Ternopil, and Khmelnytskyi regions were almost completely cut off from electricity by morning.
There are also power outages in Vinnytsia, Chernihiv, Zhytomyr, Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, and Kharkiv regions due to Russian strikes. In the Odesa region, after several consecutive massive strikes, a significant number of residents remain without electricity.
Emergency power cuts are currently in place throughout Ukraine. They will be lifted as soon as the situation in the power system stabilises.
According to the Prime Minister of Ukraine, Yulia Svyrydenko, Russia struck Ukraine with over 600 drones and dozens of missiles.
"It was a deliberate, cynical Russian strike on the eve of Christmas. At a time when people are preparing for the holiday, Russia tried to leave Ukrainian families without electricity, heat, and a sense of security. As a result of the Russian attack, energy facilities in the western regions of Ukraine were most affected," she writes.
Kyiv and Kyiv region
At night, Russian drones flew over Kyiv and mostly headed west. However, in the early morning, the Shahed drones also attacked Kyiv.
In the Sviatoshynskyi district, Russian drone debris fell near a residential building.
Source: State Emergency Service of Ukraine
Source: State Emergency Service of Ukraine
Source: State Emergency Service of Ukraine
Source: State Emergency Service of Ukraine
Source: State Emergency Service of Ukraine
Source: State Emergency Service of Ukraine
This damaged the windows and balconies in the building. 5 people were injured, including a 16-year-old girl.
Source: National Police of Ukraine
Source: National Police of Ukraine
In the Kyiv region, an elderly woman was killed in the Vyshhorod district, and 3 more people were injured. Private houses were damaged in the Obukhiv district.
Source: State Emergency Service of Ukraine
Source: State Emergency Service of Ukraine
Source: State Emergency Service of Ukraine
Zhytomyr region
In the Zhytomyr region, several hits or falls of winged missiles and kamikaze drones were recorded, according to local authorities.
Residential buildings, civilian private enterprises, and a store were damaged.
Currently, there are 5 known victims, including a minor. Russia also killed a child born in 2021.
Rivne region
The Russians attacked Rivne and the region with several waves of Shahed drones. In the region, a two-story apartment building was damaged, with windows blown out by the blast wave.
Due to the lack of electricity, trolleybuses in Rivne are not running.
Ternopil region
Due to the Russian attack, Ternopil was temporarily left without electricity. However, the power supply is gradually being restored. In order not to interrupt the supply of water and heat, utility services are switching to backup power. After that, water and heating will gradually be restored, according to local authorities.
Trolleybuses in Ternopil are currently not running, but more buses are operating on the routes.
Khmelnytskyi region
In the Khmelnytskyi region, the Russians targeted the city of Shepetivka, where an important railway junction is located.
Local authorities reported active air defense operations and the destruction of Russian targets. Eyewitnesses reported fires after the explosions. The head of the regional military administration reports that Russia killed a man born in 1953.
Russian strikes caused power outages. Khmelnytskyi itself was also left without electricity.
As a result, the city experienced a drop in water pressure and a lack of water supply in all districts. Energy companies are currently working to restore power and switch equipment to backup sources.
In Kamianets-Podilskyi, utility workers are currently working to restore power to heating, water supply, and sewage facilities.
Chernihiv region
Russia struck the Chernihiv region with 10 Geran drones.
One of the enterprises in Pryluky was hit, damaging its vehicle fleet. In one of the villages, a farm hangar was hit. The building and equipment were damaged.
Russian strike drones hit an energy facility in Novhorod-Siverskyi. There were at least 5 explosions. A number of settlements are still without electricity.
Source: State Emergency Service of Ukraine
Source: State Emergency Service of Ukraine
Source: State Emergency Service of Ukraine
Sumy region
Russia launched a massive attack on Shostka with strike drones. A critical infrastructure facility was destroyed.
Part of the city was left without electricity and heating. Municipal enterprises and hospitals switched to generators.
Emergency repair crews are working at the site of the strike, according to mayor Mykola Noha.
Lviv region
Russia struck an energy infrastructure facility in the Lviv region. However, according to the head of the regional military administration, Maksym Kozytskyi, the work of the defense forces has significantly reduced the scale of the damage.
Odesa region
The Russians carried out a massive nighttime drone attack on the southern part of the Odesa region. Energy, port, transport, industrial, and residential infrastructure have been damaged.
Russia struck a civilian dry cargo ship, a warehouse, and residential buildings.
There are power outages, and critical infrastructure is running on generators.
Source: Odesa regional military administration
Source: Odesa regional military administration
Source: Odesa regional military administration
Source: Odesa regional military administration
Source: Odesa regional military administration
Ivano-Frankivsk region
The mayor of Ivano-Frankivsk, Ruslan Martsinkiv, warned of a possible prolonged combined Russian strike. However, after the alarm was called off, he wrote that Russia had not struck Ivano-Frankivsk.
"We thank the air defense forces. Everything is calm in our community. Unfortunately, Russia struck the region," Martsinkiv said.
According to monitoring channels, the Burshtyn district, where an important thermal power plant is located and which has been repeatedly targeted by the Russians, was under threat and attack.
As the head of the Ivano-Frankivsk regional military administration, Svitlana Onyshchuk, later wrote, Russia attacked the Ivano-Frankivsk region with drones. The target was a critical infrastructure facility.
Zelenskyy calls for pressure on Russia
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that more than 650 drones were used in the attack, a significant portion of which were Shahed drones. More than three dozen missiles were fired.
According to him, at least 13 regions have already been hit. A significant number of drones and missiles were shot down. However, there were also hits.
"This Russian strike sends a very clear signal about Russia's priorities. An attack before Christmas, when people want to be with their families, at home, in safety. An attack in the midst of negotiations to end this war. Putin cannot come to terms with the fact that he must stop killing. And this means that the world is not putting enough pressure on Russia. Now is the time to respond," the head of state writes.
Allies' reaction
In response to Russian strikes on Ukrainian territory, the Polish and allied air forces launched preventive actions in Polish airspace, scrambling fighter jets.
Ground-based air defense and radar systems were put on high alert, according to the Polish Armed Forces Operational Command.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had previously warned that Russia could resort to massive strikes on Christmas.
According to him, after Russia's statements about the absence of a Christmas truce, Ukraine stepped up its intelligence and focused special attention on air defense, particularly during the period from December 23 to 25.
Sources: State Emergency Service of Ukraine, National Police of Ukraine, Ministry of Energy of Ukraine, regional power companies, statements by the Office of the President of Ukraine and other local authorities, etc.
