Here is more from the Russian defence ministry on its attack on Ukraine.
In a statement it said:
This morning the armed forces of the Russian Federation launched a massive strike with long-range precision weapons and strike drones against critical facilities of Ukraineâs energy infrastructure that support the work of the military-industrial complex.
The aim of the strike was achieved. All facilities have been hit.
Key events
Russian cargo ship which sank in Mediterranean Sea was victim of ‘terrorism’ – RIA
A Russian cargo ship which sank in the Mediterranean Sea was the victim of âan act of terrorism,â state news agency RIA has reported.
The ship, called Ursa Major, sank after an explosion ripped through its engine room leaving two of its 16 crew missing, Russiaâs Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.
RIA cited Oboronlogistika, the shipâs ultimate owner and a company that is part of the Russian Defence Ministryâs military construction operations, as saying the vessel had been targeted in âa terrorist act.â
Oboronlogistika had previously said that the ship had been en route to the Russian far eastern port of Vladivostok with two giant port cranes lashed to its deck.
At least four civilians have been killed by recent Russian attacks in Ukraine, the BBC has reported.
Citing local officials and the Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne, one person was killed in Dnipropetrovsk in a shelling attack (yesterday) with the other fatalaties reported today in Donetsk, Kherson and Kharkiv.
Russia has lost 779,320 troops in Ukraine since the beginning of its full-scale invasion on 24 February 2022, including 1,600 casualties Russian forces suffered over the past day, the General Staff of Ukraineâs Armed Forces reported on 25 December.
According to the report, Russia has also lost:
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9,628 tanks
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19,923 armoured fighting vehicles
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32,117 vehicles and fuel tanks
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21,333 artillery systems
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1,256 multiple launch rocket systems
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1,030 air defence systems
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369 aircraft
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329 helicopters
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20,908 drones
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28 ships and boats
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1 submarine
Keir Starmer condems Russia’s strikes on Ukraine
UK prime minister Keir Starmer has condemned Russiaâs strikes on Ukraine:
I pay tribute to the resilience of the Ukrainian people, and the leadership of president Zelenskyy, in the face of further drone and missile attacks from Putinâs bloody and brutal war machine, with no respite, even at Christmas.
He added:
As we go into the New Year, it remains vital that we redouble our resolve to place Ukraine in the strongest possible position to end Russiaâs illegal aggression against the Ukrainian people.
Moldova says Russian missile ‘violated’ its airspace
Moldovaâs president Maia Sandu said a Russian missile was detected in its airspace.
Posting on X, she said:
While our countries celebrate Christmas, Kremlin chooses destructionâtargeting Ukraineâs energy infrastructure and violating Moldovaâs airspace with a missile, actions that clearly violate international law. Moldova condemns these acts and stands in full solidarity with Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Nato member Romania said it had not detected any Russian missile passing through its airspace to target Ukraine as claimed by Kyiv.
Here are some more details on Russiaâs attack on Ukraineâs energy system.
The strikes included 78 air, ground, and sea-launched missiles as well as 106 Shaheds and other types of drones, Ukraineâs air force said.
It claimed to have intercepted 59 missiles and 54 drones, with 52 more drones being jammed.
Pope calls for end to the war in Ukraine
Pope Francis has called for an end to the war in Ukraine in his traditional Christmas Day address in Rome.
He said:
May the sound of arms be silenced in war-torn Ukraine. May there be the boldness needed to open the door to negotiation and to gestures of dialogue and encounter, in order to achieve a just and lasting peace.
Here are some images coming to us over the wires from Ukraine.
One woman was killed after falling debris from a Ukrainian drone that was shot down caused an explosion and a fatal fire in a shopping centre in the city of Vladikavkaz in Russiaâs North Ossetia region, the local governor said on Wednesday.
Sergei Menyailo, the regional governor, wrote on his official Telegram account that air defence systems had shot down the drone at 0828 Moscow time (0528 GMT), Reuters reports.
Here is more from the Russian defence ministry on its attack on Ukraine.
In a statement it said:
This morning the armed forces of the Russian Federation launched a massive strike with long-range precision weapons and strike drones against critical facilities of Ukraineâs energy infrastructure that support the work of the military-industrial complex.
The aim of the strike was achieved. All facilities have been hit.