A large-scale Russian drone and missile attack on Ukraine has killed at least three people and caused widespread power cuts, just days before Christmas and as the country faces freezing winter temperatures.
Ukrainian officials said Russia launched more than 650 drones and over 30 missiles in strikes that began overnight and continued into Tuesday morning. Among those killed was a four-year-old child.
Poland scrambled fighter jets to protect its airspace during the attack, according to the country’s armed forces.
Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, condemned the timing of the assault, saying it came as families were preparing for Christmas and amid ongoing negotiations aimed at ending the war. He said the strikes showed Russia’s unwillingness to halt the killing.
The attack followed weekend talks in Miami involving Donald Trump’s peace envoy, Steve Witkoff, who held separate meetings with Russian and Ukrainian representatives, as well as with Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. Witkoff described the discussions as constructive, though there was no indication of progress towards a ceasefire.
Kyiv has been working with European allies to shape a compromise proposal with Washington, but Zelenskyy has said territorial concessions remain a major obstacle. Russian officials have given no indication that Moscow is prepared to accept the proposals being discussed.
The Russian deputy foreign minister, Sergei Ryabkov, said “slow progress” was being made, but Vladimir Putin has insisted any agreement must address what he calls the root causes of the conflict.
Russia has continued to target Ukraine’s energy infrastructure during the talks. Ukrenergo, the national energy operator, said Tuesday’s strike was the ninth large-scale attack on power facilities this season.
Three western regions were left almost completely without electricity, Ukrenergo said. Several others reported damage to energy installations.
Kyiv and many other cities have been living with scheduled power cuts for weeks as the grid struggles with reduced capacity. Temperatures have fallen below freezing across much of the country, with Kyiv forecast to see highs of minus 5 degrees Celsius on Wednesday.
In the north-western Zhytomyr region, a toddler was reported killed on Tuesday. Near Kyiv, a drone strike killed a woman, according to local authorities.
In the southern port city of Odesa, Russian strikes damaged infrastructure and destroyed or damaged more than 100 houses. Officials said the city has faced sustained power shortages after weeks of repeated attacks.
