NATO scrambles warplanes as brutal Putin terrorises Ukrainians for Christmas as missile and drone attacks on heating and power supplies plunge civilians into misery

NATO was forced to scramble warplanes on its eastern flank on Christmas Day as Vladimir Putin unleashed savage missile and kamikaze drone strikes on targets across Ukraine.

Russia’s warplanes, missiles and drones attacked key civilian infrastructure, specifically power plants and supply networks, to leave long-suffering Ukrainians freezing over the festivities.

Moscow used its long-range strategic bombers, including nuclear-capable Tu-95 ‘Bear’ aircraft, from Olenya airfield in the Arctic.

Reports said Russian missiles had overflown Moldova – a sovereign state – and crossed the territory of Romania, a NATO country, prompting the security bloc’s fighter jets to take flight.

The Polish armed forces operational headquarters announced that its commander had ‘activated all available forces and resources at his disposal, the on-duty fighter pairs were scrambled, and the ground-based air defence and radar reconnaissance systems reached the highest state of readiness’.

Explosions were reported in multiple Ukrainian regions, with Putin attacking key civilian infrastructure especially related to energy with much of the country facing low or subzero temperatures.

At least six people were wounded in a missile attack on Kharkiv in northeastern Ukraine, regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said.

Ukrainian air forces said ballistic missiles attacked Kharkiv and Syniehubov said on the Telegram messaging app that there were ‘damages to civilian non-residential infrastructure’.

Ukraine’s tilt to the West is particularly clear amid the festive period – many people now mark Christmas on 24 and 25 December, rather than on 6 and 7 January as in Russia.

Putin evidently deliberately targeted the seasonal festivities, with Ukrainian civilians forced to spend Christmas morning cowering in metro stations and other bomb shelters.

But Russia has generally intensified its attacks on the Ukrainian energy sector since spring 2024, damaging almost half of its generating capacity and causing hours-long blackouts throughout the country.

Much of Kharkiv – Ukraine’s second city – was left without heating from Putin’s Christmas onslaught.

Water supplies and electricity were also hit as were ‘many civilian infrastructure facilities’, said one local Telegram channel.

The country’s largest private energy company DTEK said its generating facilities were attacked during the strike, causing ‘serious damages’ to power equipment.

‘This year, it is the 13th massive attack on the Ukrainian energy sector and the 10th massive attack on the company’s energy facilities,’ DTEK said on Telegram.

Strikes with Iskander-M and Kh-101 missiles were targeted at Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Dnipro.

Reports said some 20 explosions hit Dnipro this morning. More than five hit Kremenchuk and there were up to 15 in Kharkiv.

There were fears for power plants in Burshtyn and Kryvyi Rih, as well as gas storage facilities in Stryi, Lviv region.

Ukraine’s energy minister German Galushchenko said: ‘The enemy is again mass attacking the energy industry.

‘The transmission system operator takes the necessary measures to limit consumption to minimise the negative consequences for the power system.

‘As soon as the security situation allows, energy workers will clarify the damage caused.

‘Stay tuned for official notifications. While the danger continues – stay in shelters!’

The chairman of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Council Mykola Lukashuk warned: ‘The Russian occupation troops are trying to plunge us into darkness and cold.’

Kharkiv mayor Ihor Terekhov said his city was festooned in Christmas decorations for the first time since 2022.

‘The outgoing year was extremely difficult for Kharkiv and all of us,’ he said.

‘The enemy terrorises the city every day, but the spirit of Kharkiv – our spirit – cannot be broken!

‘Together we overcome difficulties, heal the city’s wounds and try to normalise our lives in the conditions of war. I believe that next year a just peace will come to Ukraine. And with it – restoration, in which each of us plays an important role.’

Ukrainian energy supplier Ukrenergo said today: ‘Due to a large-scale missile attack, measures have been taken to limit consumption.

‘The schedule of power outages in your region can be found on the website and official pages of your regional power company.’

After a Ukrainian strike on Russian city Kazan on 21 December, Putin had said: ‘Whoever tries to destroy something in our country, no matter how hard they try, will face much greater destruction at home for it, and will regret ever attempting to do anything in our country.’

In missile strikes on Kryvyi Rih on Christmas Eve, one died and 17 were injured.

Russian anti-Putin resistance movement ATESH said today: ‘The occupiers are trying to ban Ukrainians from celebrating Christmas

‘Our agents in the temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories report that the occupiers have increased control over people who celebrate Christmas on December 24 and 25 according to the New Julian calendar.

‘At the enterprises, collaborators pass on lists of such people to the FSB, considering them ‘potential saboteurs’.

‘The occupiers consider the celebration of Christmas on these dates as a manifestation of Ukrainian identity and seek to suppress any cultural traditions associated with the Ukrainian church and people.

‘However, attempts to eradicate Ukrainian culture are doomed to failure.’