Joe Biden has requested the US defence division to proceed its surge of weapons deliveries to Ukraine, describing Russia’s Christmas Day assault towards a few of Ukraine’s cities and its vitality infrastructure as “outrageous”. “The aim of this outrageous assault was to chop off the Ukrainian individuals’s entry to warmth and electrical energy throughout winter and to jeopardise the security of its grid,” Biden mentioned. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Washington has dedicated $175bn in help for Ukraine.
Christmas morning in Ukraine was overshadowed by a large Russian aerial assault utilizing cruise missiles to focus on vitality infrastructure throughout the nation, which Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned as “inhuman”. “Right this moment, Putin intentionally selected Christmas to assault. What could possibly be extra inhuman? Greater than 70 missiles, together with ballistic missiles, and greater than 100 assault drones,” the Ukrainian president mentioned on Telegram.
The assault left half 1,000,000 individuals in Kharkiv area with out heating, in temperatures only a few levels Celsius above zero, whereas there have been blackouts within the capital, Kyiv, and elsewhere. “Russian evil won’t break Ukraine and won’t distort Christmas,” Zelenskyy mentioned.
Ukraine’s air defences downed 59 of 78 Russian missiles and 54 of 102 drones launched in a single day and on Wednesday morning, the Ukrainian navy mentioned.
British prime minister Keir Starmer has additionally condemned the Russian assault launched on Ukraine’s vitality grid, which killed one particular person. “I condemn this ongoing assault on Ukraine’s vitality infrastructure,” Starmer mentioned. “I pay tribute to the resilience of the Ukrainian individuals, and the management of President Zelenskyy, within the face of additional drone and missile assaults from Putin’s bloody and brutal warfare machine with no respite even at Christmas.”
Nato member Romania mentioned it had not detected any Russian missile passing via its airspace to focus on Ukraine, as claimed by Kyiv. “The Romanian navy authorities have been knowledgeable by the Ukrainian navy authorities that, at round 7:30 am, a missile of the Russian Federation forces, which might have impacted within the Chernivtsi area of Ukraine, would have flown via the airspace of the Republic of Moldova and, for about two minutes, additionally via the airspace of Romania,” the defence ministry mentioned.
A Russian cargo ship that sank on Tuesday within the Mediterranean Sea was the goal of an “act of terrorism”, in keeping with the vessel’s proprietor. The Ursa Main sank whereas it was crusing via worldwide waters between Spain and Algeria, leaving two crew members lacking. Its proprietor, Oboronlogistika – an organization affiliated with the Russian defence ministry – described the incident as an “act of terrorism”, with out specifying who could be accountable. The Ukrainian navy spokesperson Dmytro Pletenchuk mentioned Russia confronted “systemic issues” in sustaining its fleet however gave no indication that Kyiv was concerned within the incident.
Falling particles from a Ukrainian drone that was shot down brought on an explosion and a deadly hearth in a purchasing centre within the metropolis of Vladikavkaz in Russia’s North Ossetia area, the native governor mentioned on Wednesday. Sergei Menyailo mentioned on Telegram that air defence methods had shot down the drone. One girl was reported to have been killed contained in the purchasing centre.
Russia’s overseas ministry mentioned Australia had been in touch concerning the doable seize by the Russian military of an Australian citizen combating with Ukrainian forces. Oscar Jenkins was reportedly captured by Russian troopers whereas combating alongside Ukrainian forces within the Donbas area. Russian overseas ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova confirmed Australian diplomats had been in touch concerning the doable seize.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a name with the Japanese prime minister, Shigeru Ishiba, the place he thanked Japan’s authorities for a choice to switch a further $3bn secured from frozen Russian belongings. The Ukrainian chief additionally thanked Japan for the entire $12bn in humanitarian and monetary help supplied to Ukraine, in keeping with a readout of the Wednesday name.
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