Russia carried out a “massive” overnight attack on several Ukrainian cities, President Volodymyr Zelensky has said, a day after he warned of strikes over the Christmas period.
At least three people were killed, according to Ukrainian officials, including a four-year-old child, while energy infrastructure was also targeted, leaving several regions without power.
Russia launched 635 drones and 38 missiles, Ukraine’s air force said, adding that 621 of them were downed.
Zelensky said “people simply want to be with their families, at home, and safe” in the run-up to Christmas, and said the strikes sent “an extremely clear signal about Russia’s priorities” despite ongoing peace talks.
He added that Russian President Vladimir Putin “still cannot accept that he must stop killing. And that means that the world is not putting enough pressure on Russia”.
Zelensky had previously warned it was in the Kremlin’s “nature” to “carry out massive attacks” during the festive period.
Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and Moscow currently controls about 20% of Ukrainian territory.
Local authorities in the central Zhytomyr region confirmed a child’s death.
Regional head Vitaly Bunechko said the child “was taken to hospital, doctors fought for (the child’s) life but could not save (the child) in the end”. Five others were injured in the strike, he added.
Meanwhile, a 76-year-old woman was killed and three people injured when a house in the Kyiv region was struck, according to Ukraine’s state emergencies service.
An attack in Khmelnytskyy, western Ukraine, killed a 72-year-old, regional administration head Serhiy Tyurin said.
Polish fighter jets were scrambled in response to missiles and drones targeting west Ukraine.
The Russian defence ministry said it had targeted Ukrainian “military-industrial complex plants and supporting energy facilities”. It added that all the designated targets had been hit.
Meanwhile, Ukraine reportedly struck a petrochemical plant in Stravropol, southern Russia.
Videos shared by Russian media channels online showed large flames rising from the direction of the plant.
