Kyiv, Dec 23: Russia unleashed over 650 drones and dozens of missiles on Ukraine overnight into Tuesday, killing at least three people—including a 4-year-old child—and triggering widespread power outages amid freezing temperatures, officials reported.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the barrage hit homes and the power grid across 13 regions, calling it a “clear signal” of Vladimir Putin’s priorities amid fragile peace talks. “A strike before Christmas… Putin cannot accept that we must stop killing,” he posted on Telegram.
A toddler died in Zhytomyr, a woman in Kyiv region from a drone strike, and another civilian in Khmelnytskyi. Energy infrastructure damage caused blackouts in Rivne, Ternopil, Lviv, and Sumy. In Odesa, strikes hit energy, port, transport, industrial sites, and 120+ homes, plus a merchant ship.
The assault follows Zelenskyy’s note of “solid progress” on a US-led deal. President Trump has pushed negotiations, but envoy Steve Witkoff’s recent talks remain cautious. Zelenskyy accused Putin of undermining efforts.
