Widespread aerial attacks marked Christmas 2025 in the Russia-Ukraine war, as Russian and Ukrainian forces exchanged drone and missile strikes on civilian and energy infrastructure in border regions.
The escalation followed renewed international peace talks, with negotiators struggling to overcome divides between Moscow and Kyiv.
Newsweek has contacted the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, via email outside of normal working hours, for comment.
Why It Matters
The surge in hostilities over Christmas comes as the conflict enters its third winter, highlighting the vulnerability of civilian infrastructure in Ukraine and the limited impact of current diplomatic negotiations.
The attacks caused mass blackouts, at least three deaths and left many more injured. They also raised fears about further escalation
What To Know
At least one person was killed after Russian forces struck port and industrial infrastructure in Odesa Oblast on Christmas Eve, according to the Head of Odesa Oblast Military Administration, Oleh Kiper.
Firesbroke out at several sites and emergency power outages were imposed to prevent overloads of damaged equipment. Work to restore power and document damage continues, Ukrainska Pravda reported.
Ukrainian officials recorded at least 151 combat clashes along the front line on December 24.
Airstrikes, drone attacks and artillery barrages took place on multiple fronts, with the Pokrovsk and Huliaipole sectors seeing the most intense activity, according to Ukrainska Pravda, citing the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
In Kherson and Sumy oblasts, Russian attacks wounded at least eight people, including a 17-year-old girl and a 20-year-old man, said the Head of Kherson Oblast Military Administration, Oleksandr Prokudin, and the National Police of Ukraine.
Russian forces launched 705 strikes on 25 settlements in the Zaporizhzhia region, injuring five people in the city and damaging hundreds of buildings and vehicles from December 24 to December 25, according to the Head of Zaporizhzhia Oblast Military Administration, Ivan Fedorov’s post on Telegram.
Meanwhile, Russia’s Defense Ministry said in a Telegram post that its air defenses had shot down 141 Ukrainian drones overnight, with 65 intercepted over Bryansk Oblast and further drones downed over Moscow, Tula and Krasnodar.
Simultaneously, drone strikes ignited large fires at fuel storage tanks in Russia’s port city of Temryuk and reportedly hit the Novoshakhtinsk oil refinery in the Rostov region, according to the Krasnodar Krai operational headquarters.
What People Are Saying
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a post on X: “An attack carried out essentially in the midst of negotiations aimed at ending this war. Putin still cannot accept that he must stop killing. And that means that the world is not putting enough pressure on Russia. Now is the time to respond. Russia must be pushed toward peace and guaranteed security. We must remember that every single day, on weekdays and holidays alike, Ukraine is defending human lives.”
Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrii Sybiha said in a post on X: “Russia did not stop its brutal bombing of civilians in Ukraine even on the holy Christmas night.
“Odesa suffers the most these days. Russia deliberately destroys energy and civilian infrastructure, leaving people without power, water, and heating amid freezing temperatures.
“No military purpose—just Russia’s intent to kill people because they are Ukrainians. Such actions fall under Article II (c) of the 1948 Genocide Convention: ‘Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part.’
“We urge the world to act, increase pressure on the aggressor, and strengthen Ukraine’s means to defend itself and its people, including air defense.”
What Happens Next
The prospect for a ceasefire or reduction in hostilities remains uncertain. Peace talks continue, but negotiators report little progress as Moscow and Kyiv hold starkly opposing positions on territorial integrity and security guarantees.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian authorities are prioritizing repair of damaged infrastructure and documentation of alleged war crimes.