Ukraine-Russia war latest: Zelensky condemns Putin’s massive Christmas Day missile attack as ‘inhumane’
Half a million people in Kharkiv without power as at least seven wounded in Christmas Day strikes
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Your support makes all the difference.Volodymyr Zelensky has condemned an “inhumane” attack by Russia on Christmas Day, as he accused Vladimir Putin’s forces of launching a vast assault on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
The strikes wounded at least six people in the city of Kharkiv and killed one in the region of Dnipropetrovsk, local governors said. Half a million people were left without heating in Kharkiv and blackouts were reported in Kyiv.
The Ukrainian president said more than 70 missiles, including ballistic missiles, and more than 100 attack drones were used to strike Ukraine’s power sources. Kyiv managed to shoot down at least 50 missiles and a significant number of drones, he said.
“Putin deliberately chose Christmas for an attack. What could be more inhumane?” Mr Zelensky said. “They continue to fight for a blackout in Ukraine.”
It came a day after at least one person was killed and 15 injured in Mr Zelensky’s hometown after a ballistic missile struck an apartment building in the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih.
“The monsters landed a direct hit on a four-storey residential block with 32 apartments,” said local military chief Oleksandr Vilkul.
Russian gas flows faster in face of Ukraine criticism
Russia’s Gazprom said that it would send 42.4 million cubic metres of gas to Europe via Ukraine on Tuesday, up from 42.1 mcm on Monday.
The slight uptick in distribution comes after Zelensky said he would not allow contracts for gas exports which flow from Russia to Europe through Ukraine to be renewed.
In reaction to the announcement, Slovakia PM Robert Fico met with Putin on Monday for the first time since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Gazprom’s exports to Europe and beyond decreased sharply following Putin’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, dropping by 90 billion cubic metres (bcm) in a single year to 63.8 billion over the year.
This dropped again in 2023 to 28.3 bcm, and is estimated to reach 32 bcm overall for 2024.
However, these figures are all staggeringly low compared to Gazprom’s pre-war exports, with the 2018/19 peak of 180 bmc remaining far out of reach.
Ukraine launches first robot-only assault on Russia
Ukraine has successfully mounted its first robot-only assault against Russia, its the military says, as unmanned vehicles pushed back Moscow’s forces over the weekend.
In a display of modern warfare, Kyiv used dozens of remote-controlled vehicles mounted with machine guns, as well as unmanned kamikaze drones, in a raid near the Ukrainian-held town of Lyptsi, the Ukrainian military said.
Volodymyr Dehtiarov, a representative for Ukraine’s Khartiia Brigade, said: “We are talking about dozens of units of robotic and unmanned equipment simultaneously on a small section of the front.”
The assault took place between Russian-held Hlyboke and Ukrainian-held Lyptsi, in the Kharkiv region near Ukraine’s north-western border.
Kyiv has struggled with a shortage of manpower as the fight against invadin Russian troops continues into 2025. Ukranian officials have said the nation’s military consists of around 800,000 while Russia has committed 1.7 million troops to its war so far.
Modern assaults such as Ukraine’s robot only attack may prove to be crucial in the coming year as the officials look to tackle the imbalance of troops.
Protests and anger as Slovakia PM meets Putin
Slovakia’s prime minister Robert Fico has drawn criticism from the European community and Slovakian citizens after he met face-to-face with Vladimir Putin the day before Christmas Eve (23 December).
Mr Fico became only the third European leader to visit the Russian president in Moscow since its invasion of Ukraine was ordered in February 2022.
The pair discussed “the international situation” and the delivery of Russian natural gas, according to the Kremlin.
Mr Fico says his visit was a reaction to Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky’s announcement that he would no longer allow Russian natural gas to flow to other European countries through pipes in Ukrainian soil.
Ukraine’s foreign ministry slammed the “weakness, dependence and short-sightedness” of Mr Fico’s energy policy in a statement, calling it a “threat to the whole of Europe.”
Meanwhile, protests have taken place in Bratislavia, Slovakia’s capital, as citizens show their support for Ukraine and disappointment at Mr Fico’s meeting.
Urgent call for evacuation of Australian fighter after stepping on landmine in Ukraine
The Australian government is being urged to urgently evacuate a 38-year-old citizen who sustained severe injuries after stepping on a landmine while fighting on Ukraine’s eastern front. Friends of the injured man, who is currently receiving treatment in a Ukrainian hospital, told The Guardian that without immediate specialist care, he risks losing his limbs.
A spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed that consular assistance is being provided but declined to comment further, citing privacy concerns.
The Australian fighter recounted his harrowing ordeal in a statement shared by a supporter. “I nearly bled out,” he said, describing the 20-hour evacuation and the lack of immediate first aid.
Glenn Kolomeitz, a former Australian army officer, has called on the government to arrange an urgent evacuation to ensure the man receives proper medical treatment. “He needs surgery very rapidly,” Mr Kolomeitz stressed.
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