Hafsa Khalil
Live reporter

We're closing our live coverage shortly, after Russia conducted large-scale attacks on Ukraine on Christmas Day, targeting energy infrastructure across the country.

• Early this morning, air raid alerts sounded across Ukraine, including in the capital, Kyiv, where people sheltered in metro stations
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called the attack "inhumane", and said the Christmas Day timing was a "conscious" decision
• Ukraine's air force said it detected 184 missiles and drones, out of which they shot down 59 missiles and 54 drones, while another 52 drones "did not reach their targets"

• According to energy company, DTEK, it was the 13th Russian attack on energy infrastructure this year
• State-owned power company, Ukrenergo, warned Ukrainians of power cuts and planned outages until at least the end of the day
• People in Ukraine's second largest city, Kharkiv, were warned to stay at home - the city earlier had 520,000 people without heating and electricity
• Russia confirmed the "massive" attack on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, saying the "goal was achieved"

• UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer condemned the attack and paid "tribute to the resilience" of all Ukrainians

But amidst the danger, festivities have continued for many Ukrainians. To finish, here is a picture from a Christmas Day service in Odesa:

Image source, Getty Images

As we've been reporting, Dnipro is one of the cities targeted by today's Russian strike.

Boris Filatov, the mayor of Dnipro, says that as of 14:30 local time (12:30 GMT), gas, water, and electricity supplies have been restored in the city, but about 65 houses are still without heat.

According to the UK's Met Office, the temperature in Dnipro is currently 4°C.

Filatov also reports that there are 300 broken windows across the city, and seven educational institutions have been damaged.

Additionally, he mentions that the city needs to evacuate one of its hospitals, where more than 100 patients are being cared for. These patients will be moved to other medical facilities in the city.

"We are not folding our hands," says Filatov. "We are helping each other."

Image source, Ukraine government

The regional head of Kharkiv, Oleg Sinegubov, has urged people to stay indoors during the Christmas season, because of the threat of Russian attack.

"We urge residents of the Kharkiv region to spend the holidays at home, avoiding crowded places, because the enemy is insidiously launching drones and missiles, including in the city centre," he says.

Image source, EPA

According to local officials and Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne, at least four people have been killed by recent Russian attacks in the areas of Dnipropetrovsk (a shelling attack from yesterday), Donetsk, Kherson, and Kharkiv (all reported today).

While Russia's Christmas Day attack focused on energy infrastructure, civilian buildings have also been hit and damaged.

Image source, EPA

UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has condemned Russia's "ongoing assault" on Ukraine's energy infrastructure.

"I pay tribute to the resilience of the Ukrainian people, and the leadership of President Zelensky, in the face of further drone and missile attacks from Putin's bloody and brutal war machine, with no respite, even at Christmas."

He adds that it remains "vital" to redouble efforts to "place Ukraine in the strongest possible position to end Russia's illegal aggression".

Image source, EPA

Earlier, we reported that residential buildings were damaged in Kharkiv by Russia's airstrikes. New pictures from the city show residents returning to see their homes destroyed.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

As we've been reporting, Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, has been one of the areas under Russian attack.

In the past hour - while most of Ukraine has quietened down - Kharkiv still had air raid warnings in place.

At 13:06 local time (11:06 GMT), the Ukrainian air force announced the presence of enemy drones near the city and urged people to stay in shelters. It later made a similar warning.

Kharkiv's mayor, Ihor Terekhov, says, as of 13:48 local time, damage to 74 buildings had been recorded from today's attacks.

Terekhov also says repairs to the energy infrastructure are in progress, and 35% of the circuits have been fixed.

Four people have been killed and five more injured by Ukrainian shelling in the town of Lgov in Russia's Kursk region, according to the region's acting governor.

Alexander Khinshtein says a five-storey building, two single-storey residential buildings, and a single-storey beauty salon were damaged.

He adds that the "blast wave" destroyed a small section of a gas pipeline, blew out windows in neighbouring homes, and damaged at least a dozen cars.

Parts of the Kursk region are occupied by Ukraine following its surprise cross-border offensive in early August.

Last week, Khinshtein said five people had been killed in the region, after a Ukrainian strike.

Meanwhile, in Vladikavkaz in Russia's North Ossetia region, a woman was killed after debris from an intercepted Ukrainian drone fell on a shopping centre, according to Russia's defence ministry.

Image source, Reuters

"For the second time, we celebrate Christmas on the same date as one big family, one country," Ukraine's President Zelensky said yesterday, on Christmas Eve.

Ukraine had traditionally followed the Julian calendar, like Russia, where Christmas is on 7 January.

But in a move away from Russia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky changed the law in July 2023.

Since then, Christmas is marked according to the Western - or Gregorian - calendar.

Zelensky said this change allows Ukrainians to "abandon the Russian heritage" of celebrating Christmas in January.

Ukraine's air force has just given more details on Russia's Christmas Day attack.

It says Russia targeted Ukrainian energy facilities using "air, ground, and sea-based missiles", as well as drones. In total, the air force detected 184 "enemy air targets".

The air force says that according to preliminary data, as of midday local time (10:00 GMT), they've shot down 59 missiles and 54 drones (113 in total), and another 52 drones "did not reach their targets".

The areas with energy facilities attacked include Kharkiv, Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Poltava, Zhytomyr, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Zaporizhia.

The Ukraine Air Force also confirms there have been casualties as a result of the attack, although does not say how many.

We're now getting the first official comment from Russia on its Christmas Day attack on Ukraine's energy infrastructure.

Russia's Ministry of Defence says its forces "carried out a massive strike with long-range precision weapons and strike drones on critical energy infrastructure facilities in Ukraine that ensure the operation of the military-industrial complex".

"The strike's goal was achieved. All facilities were hit," it adds.

Image source, Reuters

Earlier, we reported Ukraine's claims that a Russian missile crossed into Moldovan and Romanian airspace - although Romania says it did not detect a missile in its territory.

Now, we have reaction from Moldova's president, who says a Russian missile was detected crossing Moldova.

Maia Sandu says on X: "While our countries celebrate Christmas, Kremlin chooses destruction - targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and violating Moldova’s airspace with a missile, actions that clearly violate international law.

"Moldova condemns these acts and stands in full solidarity with Ukraine."

Further to those pictures from Kharkiv, we're now getting more information about the impact of this morning's air strikes.

Oleg Sinegubov, head of Kharkiv's regional administration, reports that 500,000 people in the Kharkiv area are without electricity. Also, 520,000 people are without heating and water.

"We are doing everything possible to restore heat, water, and electricity to people's homes as quickly as possible," Sinegubov says.

The official also says a 53-year-old woman died due to "enemy mortar fire".

We've just received these pictures of emergency services dealing with the aftermath of this morning's airstrikes in Kharkiv, Ukraine's second largest city.

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Image source, EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock

Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha has posted online about Russia's attack.

He describes the strikes as "Christmas terror" and says it's Vladimir Putin's answer to those who talked about the "illusionary" Christmas ceasefire.

He also claims that a Russian missile went through Moldovan and Romanian airspace - "reminding that Russia threatens not only Ukraine".

But Romania - a Nato member - says it did not detect a missile in its airspace.

"Everyone is in coordination: the military administration, city authorities, police, energy workers, utility workers, rescuers, volunteers," says Dnipro Mayor Borys Filatov, as it deals with Russia's missile attack.

He says he won't say too much, so as to not inform Russia, but declares: "If we had not prepared for the shelling, it would have been much worse."

The regional head, Sergiy Lysak, says that as well as energy infrastructure, an administrative building and a house were damaged.

He accuses Russia of sending "darkness" to Ukraine, "even on bright holidays".

"For the third year, our Christmas has been overshadowed by war. But it is ours. Let's stand up and win!"

Image source, Ukraine government

The mayor of Kharkiv, Ukraine's second largest city, has just issued an update, saying they faced another "massive missile attack on energy facilities" this morning.

Ihor Terekhov says 12 missiles were launched at the city, targeting energy facilities such as boiler houses and power plants. As a result, a large part of Kharkiv is currently without heating.

He says at least four people have been injured in the city so far (earlier reports said six).

"All our specialised municipal services will work to maintain the heat and restart the heating system. We will work around the clock to restore normal life in the city as soon as possible," he says.

For anyone who's just coming to our coverage, here is everything you need to know about Russia's large-scale air strikes across Ukraine this Christmas Day morning.

• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of "deliberately" choosing Christmas for an attack, calling it "inhumane"
• He said more than 70 missiles were fired, plus 100 drones. More than 50 missiles were shot down

• Many officials, including Zelensky, said the energy sector was the target. The morning's attacks were the 13th major attack on the energy sector this year
• Ukraine's energy minister German Galushchenko said electricity restrictions have been put in place, with Zelensky adding that Russia continues "to fight" for a blackout
• In Ukraine's second largest city, Kharkiv, at least six people were injured
• Air raid alerts have been ringing out across the country, including in Kyiv, where people have been sheltering in metro stations

The state owned power company, Ukrenergo, has warned Ukrainians of power outages until at least the end of the day.

"At night and in the morning, Russia carried out another... massive missile and drone attack on energy facilities," it says. "As a result of the damage, consumption restrictions were forced to be introduced."

It adds: "We remind you that the Ukrainian power system is currently continuing to recover after previous hostile missile and drone attacks...therefore, the need for economical electricity consumption remains."

Image source, Ukraine government

In the past hour, Ukraine's air force has issued alerts across the country, warning of Russian attacks.

It has warned of missiles in "western regions", plus Kryvyi Rih and Kremenchuk in central Ukraine.

It also says the threat remains of drone attacks in Kharkiv, in the north-east of the country.