Russia launched a massive missile and drones targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure on Wednesday, hitting a thermal power plant and forcing Ukrainians to take shelter in metro stations on Christmas morning.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said more than 70 missiles, including ballistic missiles, and more than 100 attack drones were used to attack Ukrainian energy sources, in a statement to X.

At least one person was killed in the attack in the Dnipro region, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Kuleba said on the Telegram messaging app, adding that heating was cut off in 155 residential buildings in the Ivano-Frankivsk region. He also said that 500,000 recipients or 2,677 buildings in the Kharkiv region are without heating.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said that a Russian missile passed through Moldovan and Romanian airspace.

“Putin deliberately chose Christmas to attack. What could be more inhumane?” said Zelenskyy. “They continue to fight for blackouts in Ukraine.”

He said that Ukraine managed to shoot down at least 50 missiles and a significant number of drones.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said Wednesday it had carried out a “massive strike” on what it said were critical energy facilities in Ukraine that support the operation of Kiev’s military-industrial complex.

The same statement said Russian forces had also taken control of the village of Vidrodzhennia in eastern Ukraine.

Ukrainian Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko said Russia is again “massively attacking the energy infrastructure,” in a statement on Facebook. The Ukrainian Air Force warned of multiple missiles fired at the Kharkiv, Dnipro and Poltava regions in the east of the country.

“The operator of the (electricity) distribution system takes the necessary measures to limit consumption in order to minimize the negative consequences for the power system,” he said. As soon as the security situation allows it, Energetika employees will determine the resulting damage.

More than a dozen attacks on the Ukrainian electricity grid

Ukraine’s largest private energy company, DTEK, said Russia attacked one of its thermal power plants on Wednesday morning, marking the 13th attack on Ukraine’s power grid this year.

“Depriving millions of peace-loving people of light and warmth while celebrating Christmas is a depraved and evil act that must be answered,” wrote Maxim Timchenko, CEO of DTEK, on ​​his X account.

Ukraine’s state-owned energy operator, Ukrenergo, implemented preventive power cuts across the country due to the “massive rocket attack,” which led to power outages in several neighborhoods of the capital, Kyiv.

At least seven attacks targeted Kharkiv, causing fires across the city, regional leader Oleh Syniehubov wrote on Telegram. At least three people were injured, local authorities said.

“Kharkiv is under massive rocket fire. A series of explosions rang out in the city and there are still ballistic missiles flying in the direction of the city. Stay in safe places,” said Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov.