What the 25 December 2024 strikes meant for Ukraine's power grid
A retrospective on the Russian missile and drone attacks on energy infrastructure that struck Ukrainian cities on Christmas Day 2024.
What did the Russian attacks of 25 December 2024 do to Ukraine's energy system? Looking back at 26 December 2024, the day after, the answer was still emerging: a series of Russian ballistic missile and drone strikes had hit critical energy infrastructure in cities across the country.
As reported at the time, the strikes killed at least two people and injured 20 others. They also caused widespread emergency blackouts, leaving residents in affected cities without electricity.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the attacks and criticised Russian President Vladimir Putin for what he called "inhumane" strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure.
Part of a wider winter pattern
The attacks belonged to a broader campaign. During the Russo-Ukrainian war, winter attacks on district heating and electricity caused crises in Ukraine's energy sector, a situation known as the Ukrainian energy crisis. The Christmas Day strikes fitted into that pattern, with energy infrastructure again the target at the height of the cold season.
