Russia has launched a major air attack on Ukraine, killing at least three people including a four-year-old child—and causing widespread power outages as Ukrainians prepared to celebrate Christmas.
The strikes, carried out with missiles and drones, targeted energy infrastructure, hitting western regions hardest, according to Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko. The attacks come just days after a new round of U.S.-led peace talks aimed at ending the nearly four-year conflict.
Two fatalities occurred in the central Zhytomyr region, including the child, while a third person died near the capital Kyiv, where local officials reported at least five additional injuries.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, addressing the attack on X, condemned the strikes as a stark illustration of Moscow’s priorities. “This attack involved more than 30 missiles and 650 drones across at least 13 regions,” he wrote. “An attack ahead of Christmas, when people simply want to be with their families, at home, and safe.”
The coordinated assault has further strained Ukraine’s power grid, forcing emergency shutdowns across most regions and disrupting daily life as communities brace for the holiday season.
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