Amidst the festive spirit of Christmas, Russia demonstrated its relentless attacks on Ukraine. According to local reports, Ukraine managed to fend off most of the drone and missile attacks, although debris inflicted damage, notably to the infrastructure in Odessa's port.
On December 25, Ukrainian air defenses claimed to have repelled over two dozen drones during Russian nighttime air strikes. Initially, Moscow launched 31 drones, primarily of Iranian origin, at various Ukrainian regions such as Odessa, Kherson, Mykolaiv, Donetsk, and Khmelnytskyi. The Ukrainian air force successfully intercepted 28 of these drones, ostensibly with little casualties.
The bombardment caused damage across these regions, including the launch of two missiles and two reported enemy fighter jets. One jet, a Su-34, was already downed in the Donetsk region the previous day, and another Su-30CM over the Black Sea. Additionally, attacks targeted enemy positions, including weapons and ammunition depots.
In the southern Ukrainian region of Odessa, 17 drones were repelled, causing extensive damage to the port infrastructure, an unused administrative building, and storage rooms. A fire erupted as well, but luckily, no one was injured. These attacks have become almost a daily occurrence in Ukrainian cities, with most drones being thwarted by Ukrainian air defenses.
Meanwhile, Russian-occupied Ukrainian regions and cities have suffered retaliatory strikes from the Ukrainian army. This year, several drone attacks also targeted Moscow.
In a historic shift, Ukrainians celebrated Christmas on December 25 instead of January 7 for the first time this year. The Kiev government's decision to postpone Christmas was a clear challenge to Moscow, as the Ukrainian Orthodox Church had been a Russian Orthodox Church branch since the 17th century. The separation commenced in early 2019 following Russia's annexation of Crimea. The attack in February 2022 resulted in the Orthodox Church in Ukraine fully disassociating itself from Moscow.
Enrichment Data: Despite the lack of context in the original article, it appears that Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian targets have become more frequent and impactful. In a notable incident on February 2-3, 2025, Ukraine launched a significant drone attack on Russian oil and gas facilities, resulting in substantial damage to infrastructure [2].
