US President Joe Biden has condemned Russia’s Christmas-day attack on Ukraine, calling it “outrageous”. The strike, which killed one person and damaged energy infrastructure, targeted Ukraine’s power grid with over 170 missiles and drones. In response, Biden promised a surge in weapons deliveries to Ukraine.
The US will continue to support Ukraine’s defense against Russian forces, according to Biden. He described the attack as an attempt to disrupt the Ukrainian people’s access to heat and electricity during winter and to jeopardise their energy grid.
This was the 13th large-scale strike on Ukraine’s energy system this year, following Russia’s campaign targeting power grids during winter. The latest attack occurred on Christmas Day, when Moscow launched a barrage of missiles and drones at Ukraine’s fuel and energy sources.
Russia has denied targeting civilian targets and claims to only target military facilities. However, Ukrainian authorities have reported damage to the city of Kharkiv, which is located near the Russian border.
Despite this, Russia’s Federal Security Service announced that it had foiled a plot by Ukrainian intelligence to kill senior Russian officers and their families in Moscow. The US has cautioned against Washington pushing Kyiv into accepting a settlement favourable to Moscow before the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump.
Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/12/26/biden-condemns-russias-outrageous-christmas-attack-on-ukraine