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President Biden and President-Elect Trump’s incoming special envoy for Ukraine and Russia have condemned a large-scale Russian attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure carried out on Christmas Day.
Some shit you should know before you read: On Christmas, Russia launched over 170 missiles and drones, including 78 air and ground missiles and 106 Shahed drones, targeting critical energy infrastructure across Ukraine. The strikes damaged thermal power plants, caused widespread power outages, and forced civilians to take shelter in metro stations. Ukraine’s air force successfully intercepted 59 missiles and 54 drones, with an additional 52 drones reportedly jammed. Despite these efforts, the attacks caused at least one death in the Dnipropetrovsk region and injured six others in Kharkiv, with multiple fires reported across the region as a result of the strikes.
What Biden is saying: In a statement, President Biden said, “The purpose of this outrageous attack was to cut off the Ukrainian people’s access to heat and electricity during winter and to jeopardize the safety of its grid. Let me be clear: the Ukrainian people deserve to live in peace and safety, and the United States and the international community must continue to stand with Ukraine until it triumphs over Russia’s aggression.” He added, “I have directed the Department of Defense to continue its surge of weapons deliveries to Ukraine, and the United States will continue to work tirelessly to strengthen Ukraine’s position in its defense against Russian forces.”
In addition to President Biden, President-Elect Donald Trump’s incoming special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, Retired Lt. Gen Keith Kellogg, said, “Christmas should be a time of peace, yet Ukraine was brutally attacked on Christmas Day. Launching large-scale missile and drone attacks on the day of the Lord’s birth is wrong. The world is closely watching actions on both sides. The U.S. is more resolved than ever to bring peace to the region.”
Zelenskyy reacts: In addition to President Biden and Kellogg, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, “Today, Putin deliberately chose Christmas for an attack. What could be more inhumane? Over 70 missiles, including ballistic ones, and more than a hundred attack drones. The targets are our energy infrastructure. They continue to fight for a blackout in Ukraine.”
This all comes as Russia defended the attacks as legitimate military operations, with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stating, “Russia targets only military facilities and infrastructure, and it’s not in our rules to strike civilian targets.” Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) also alleged that Ukrainian intelligence was planning attacks on Russian officers and their families, which it claimed to have thwarted.
