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What the 25 December strikes did to Ukraine's grid
Summary
A look back at the Russian missile and drone attacks on energy infrastructure that left cities across Ukraine in emergency blackouts.
What did a day of strikes on energy infrastructure mean for Ukraine's winter? On 26 December 2024, the question was already pressing, a day after a series of Russian ballistic missile and drone attacks hit critical energy facilities in cities across the country.
The attacks of 25 December killed at least two people and injured 20 others. They also caused widespread emergency blackouts, the most immediate sign that the energy system had been targeted rather than incidental sites.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin for the attacks, calling them "inhumane". The wording placed the strikes in the context of civilian harm as well as damage to infrastructure.
A winter pattern
The strikes belonged to a broader campaign. During the Russo-Ukrainian war, winter attacks on district heating and electricity produced what has been described as the Ukrainian energy crisis. Heating and power are linked in cold months, so damage to either affects households directly.
The reported toll of 25 December was two dead, 20 injured and blackouts in multiple cities. That combination of casualties and lost power shows why attacks on energy infrastructure were treated as a pressure point for civilians across Ukraine, not only for the energy sector.
