Russia’s massive pre-Christmas attack in Ukraine kills at least 3, including a child

Kyiv, Ukraine – Russia fired more than 650 drones and a dozen cruise missiles at Ukraine in a major operation that began overnight and lasted until early Tuesday, officials said. At least three people were killed, including a four-year-old child, two days before Christmas.

The blast hit homes and the power grid in 13 regions of Ukraine, causing sweltering temperatures, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, a day after he described recent progress toward a peace deal as “very strong.”

The bombing showed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s intention to pursue an attack on Ukraine, Zelenskyy said in a Telegram message post. Ukrainian and European officials complain that Putin is not actively engaging with US-led peace efforts.

The attack is “a clear indication of Russia’s priorities,” Zelenskyy said. “A strike before Christmas, when people want to be with their families, at home, safe. A strike, in fact, during ongoing negotiations to end this war. Putin cannot accept that we have to stop killing.”

President Trump has been pushing for a peace deal for months, but talks have run into very different demands from Moscow and Kyiv.

US Ambassador Steve Witkoff said on Sunday he had “productive and constructive” talks in Florida with Ukrainian and European representatives. Mr. Trump was less effective on Monday, saying, “Negotiations are ongoing.”

Zelenskyy said the talks led to the preparation of “several draft documents” including those on “Ukraine’s security guarantees, reintegration, and the basic framework for ending the war. The points … are set in such a way that they are consistent with the goal of truly ending the war and the need to prevent a third Russian attack.”

The Russian invasion is gaining momentum

Initial reports from emergency services in Ukraine said a child died in Ukraine’s northwestern Zhytomyr region, while a drone killed a woman in Kyiv region and another death was recorded in the western Khmelnytskyi region, according to Zelenskyy.

Russia has launched 635 drones of various types and 38 missiles, the Ukrainian military said. Air defense intercepted 587 drones and 34 missiles, it said.

It was Russia’s ninth large-scale attack on Ukraine’s power system this year and left many regions in the west without electricity, while emergency power outages hit the country, Deputy Energy Minister Artem Nekraso said. The work to restore electricity will begin as soon as the security situation permits, he said.

Ukraine’s largest private electricity supplier, DTEK, said the attack targeted power stations in what it said was the seventh major strike at the company’s facilities since October.

DTEK’s thermal power plants have been hit more than 220 times since then A full-scale invasion of Russia began in February 2022. That attack killed four workers and injured 59.

Authorities in the western regions of Rivne, Ternopil and Lviv, as well as the northern region of Sumy, reported damage to energy infrastructure or power outages after the attack.

In the southern region of Odesa, Russia has hit the energy, port, transport, industrial and residential infrastructure, according to the head of the region Oleh Kiper.

He said a merchant ship and more than 120 homes were damaged.