Russia Strikes Ukraine’s Energy Infrastructure With Over 600 Drones

Russia launched one of its largest aerial assaults of the ongoing war on December 23, 2025, deploying over 600 drones and dozens of missiles targeting Ukraine's energy infrastructure overnight, killing at least three people—including a four-year-old child—and causing widespread blackouts. Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko reported that energy facilities in the western regions suffered the most severe damage, with critical power plants, substations, and transmission lines hit hard. The attack underscored Moscow's continued focus on crippling Ukraine's civilian energy grid amid winter conditions, despite ongoing diplomatic efforts to negotiate an end to the nearly four-year conflict.

Ukrainian officials described the strike as a deliberate escalation, noting its timing coincided with preparations for renewed peace talks. A senior Ukrainian source stated on Telegram that the assault "sends an extremely clear signal about Russia’s priorities," carried out "essentially in the midst of negotiations aimed at ending this war." The Russian Defence Ministry confirmed the operation, claiming it targeted military-related energy infrastructure. In a separate incident earlier in the week, a Russian missile strike on port facilities in Odesa killed eight people and injured 27, further highlighting the intensifying pressure on southern and western Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, speaking at a year-end press conference in Moscow on December 23, portrayed a confident picture of the battlefield, asserting that Russian troops were advancing "on all fronts" and that Ukrainian forces were retreating across sectors. He highlighted recent territorial gains, including the capture of Andriivka in the Dnipropetrovsk region and Prylipka in the Kharkiv region, and predicted further successes before year's end. While acknowledging "certain signals" of potential dialogue, Putin reiterated Russia's unchanged demands, first outlined in June 2024, insisting any peace must address the "root causes" of the crisis—conditions widely interpreted in Kyiv and the West as amounting to capitulation.

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The massive drone and missile barrage has exacerbated Ukraine's energy crisis, with millions already facing power shortages as temperatures drop. Ukrainian air defenses intercepted many incoming threats, but the sheer volume overwhelmed systems in several areas, leading to emergency blackouts and urgent calls for additional international air defense support. The civilian toll, including the death of a young child, has drawn renewed condemnation from Western leaders and humanitarian organizations, who described the targeting of energy infrastructure as a war crime aimed at punishing the civilian population.

As diplomatic channels remain open—with a Kremlin envoy reportedly preparing to travel to Florida for talks on a US-proposed peace framework—the latest strikes highlight the wide gulf between the two sides. Ukraine insists on full Russian withdrawal and accountability, while Moscow demands recognition of annexed territories and security guarantees. With winter deepening and civilian suffering mounting, the attack serves as a grim reminder that military pressure continues to dominate the conflict, even as negotiations loom on the horizon.

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