Sir Keir Starmer has condemned Russia’s Christmas Day bombardment of Ukraine, describing it as “bloody and brutal.”
The prime minister lamented the lack of respite for Ukrainians during the Christmas holiday, as they took shelter in metro stations while bombs rained down on their cities.
Russia’s defense ministry claimed to have carried out a “massive strike” on energy facilities supporting Kyiv’s military.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy also condemned the attack, accusing Russia of plunging his people into darkness.
“Putin deliberately chose Christmas,” he said on Wednesday. “What could be more inhumane?”
In the east, Kremlin forces reportedly captured the settlement of Vidrodzhennia as they continued to make territorial gains.
People take shelter at a metro station during an air raid alert in Kyiv. Pic: Reuters
‘Christmas gift to Ukraine’
Regions across the country reported missile and drone strikes as Ukrainians faced attacks on their power infrastructure during the holiday season.
Kyiv’s military reported downing 59 Russian missiles and 54 drones, but some still made it through their air defenses.
Strikes in Kharkiv injured six people and left half a million without heating, with temperatures barely above freezing.
Firefighters work in the wreckage of homes in Kharkiv. Pic: Reuters
“Kharkiv is under massive missile fire. A series of explosions rang out in the city and there are still ballistic missiles flying in the direction of the city. Stay in safe places,” Kharkiv mayor Ihor Terekhov said.
In the capital, residents faced blackouts while in the Dnipro region, one person was killed.
Dnipropetrovsk Governor Serhiy Lysa said the Russian army is trying to destroy the region’s power system.
Sophia Square, Kyiv, on Christmas Eve. Pic: Reuters
Ukrainians, celebrating their second Christmas on the same day as the West, sought shelter in underground metro stations as missiles and drones threatened their safety.
“Russia’s Christmas gift to Ukraine: over 70 missiles and 100 drones,” US ambassador Bridget Brink said. “For the third holiday season, Russia weaponizes winter.”
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A military chaplain conducts a Christmas Eve mass for soldiers on the front line. Pic: Reuters/72nd Mechanised Brigade
Four dead in Kursk region
In the east, Ukrainian soldiers celebrated Christmas by candlelight as they ate together near the frontline.
Fighting continues in Donbas, with Russian forces making steady gains.
On Wednesday, Russia’s defense ministry claimed to have captured the settlement of Vidrodzhennia.
Soldiers eat by candlelight on Christmas Eve near the front line. Pic: Reuters/33rd Separate Mechanised Brigade
On the Russian side, in the Kursk region, four people died and five were injured in Lgov due to Ukrainian shelling, according to the region’s acting governor.
“A five-storey residential building, two single-storey residential buildings, and a beauty salon were seriously damaged,” Alexander Khinshtein wrote on Telegram.
Pope calls for peace talks
In the Vatican, Pope Francis mentioned the war in Ukraine directly in his Christmas Day message, urging for negotiations to end the conflict.
Addressing thousands from St Peter’s Basilica, he called for an end to the sound of weapons in war-torn Ukraine and emphasized the importance of dialogue and encounter for a just and lasting peace.