What the 25 December 2024 strikes on Ukraine's energy grid meant
A look back at the Russian missile and drone attack that caused emergency blackouts across Ukraine on Christmas Day.
What did the attacks of 25 December 2024 show about the pressure on Ukraine's energy system? A series of Russian ballistic missile and drone strikes hit critical energy infrastructure in cities across the country. At least two people were killed and 20 others injured, and the strikes caused widespread emergency blackouts.
The targets were energy facilities rather than front-line positions. That placed the consequences on civilians: loss of electricity in the middle of winter, alongside the casualties. The attack fitted into the wider Ukrainian energy crisis, in which winter attacks on district heating and electricity during the Russo-Ukrainian war created repeated strain for the country's energy supply.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin for the attacks, calling them "inhumane". His response put the focus on the civilian harm caused by strikes on infrastructure.
The strikes across multiple cities, using both ballistic missiles and drones, meant that emergency blackouts were not confined to a single region. For Ukrainian authorities and utilities, the immediate task was restoring power under continuing threat of further attacks.
