Russia Unleashes 650 Drones on Ukraine as Peace Framework Emerges

While talk of a peace deal emerges from Miami, the skies over Ukraine tell a different story. Russia launched a "massive attack" on Monday night, targeting 13 regions with 650 drones and 30 missiles and killing at least three people, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

Christmas Eve Strikes and Casualties

The overnight assault left a trail of casualties across the country. A four-year-old girl was killed in the central Zhytomyr region, where five others were injured, according to Governor Vitalii Bunechko. Near the capital, Kyiv, a woman was killed and three people were injured in the Vyshhorod district. An AP photo captured an injured elderly woman looking out from her shattered apartment window in Kyiv.

Ukraine's Ministry of Energy reported that Russian forces targeted energy infrastructure, forcing "emergency power outages" in several regions. The ministry added that restoring electricity is especially difficult in border regions due to "continuous fighting."

Conflicting Claims and Diplomatic Overtures

Amid the fighting, both sides made competing claims. Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated its F-16 pilots shot down 621 of 673 Russian "aerial targets." Conversely, Russia's Ministry of Defence claimed to have shot down 56 Ukrainian drones in a day, according to state news agency TASS. Meanwhile, Ukrainian troops have withdrawn from the Siversk area in the Donetsk region, citing a "significant advantage" for Moscow's forces. Russia also reported casualties from Ukrainian drone strikes in its Belgorod region.

In stark contrast to the violence, Zelenskyy signaled progress on the diplomatic front. He stated, "We sense that America wants to reach a final agreement," and that there is "full cooperation" from the Ukrainian side. He added that following talks in Miami, "several draft documents have now been prepared" covering security guarantees, recovery, and a basic framework for ending the war.