Russian air attack on Ukraine kills three and knocks out power in most regions

(Reuters)

KYIV, Dec 23 – Russia hammered Ukraine with missiles and drones in a new air attack on Tuesday, authorities said, killing at least three people including a child and triggering emergency power cuts across the country as Ukrainians gear up to celebrate Christmas.

Moscow’s latest combined strike hit energy facilities in western regions the hardest, said Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, and came days after another round of U.S.-led peace talks to end the nearly four-year-old war.

Tuesday’s attack killed two people including a four-year-old in the central Zhytomyr region and one person outside the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, where local officials said at least five were also wounded.

“This Russian strike sends an extremely clear signal about Russia’s priorities,” President Volodymyr Zelenskiy wrote on X, adding that it involved more than 30 missiles and 650 drones across at least 13 regions.

“An attack ahead of Christmas, when people simply want to be with their families, at home, and safe.”