'No respite even at Christmas': Starmer condemns Russian missile strikes on Ukraine

Sir Keir Starmer has condemned Russia's Christmas Day bombardment of Ukraine, saying the hail of missiles and drones was "bloody and brutal".

The prime minister lamented there was "no respite even at Christmas" for Ukrainians, who spent the morning sheltering in metro stations as bombs rained down on their cities.

Russia's defence ministry said it carried out a "massive strike" on energy facilities it claimed supported Kyiv's military.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy also condemned the attack, saying Russia was seeking to plunge his people into darkness.

"Putin deliberately chose Christmas," he said on Wednesday. "What could be more inhumane?"

In the east, Kremlin forces claim to have captured the settlement of Vidrodzhennia as they continue to make territorial gains.

'Christmas gift to Ukraine'

Regions across the country reported missile and drone strikes as Ukrainians spend another holiday season facing attacks on their power infrastructure.

Kyiv's military said it downed 59 Russian missiles and 54 drones, but others made it through their air defences.

Strikes in Kharkiv wounded six people and left half a million in the region without heating, as temperatures hovered just a few degrees above zero.

"Kharkiv is under massive missile fire. A series of explosions rang out in the city and there are still ballistic missiles flying in the direction of the city. Stay in safe places," Kharkiv mayor Ihor Terekhov said.

In the capital, residents faced blackouts while in the Dnipro region, one person was killed.

Dnipropetrovsk Governor Serhiy Lysa said the Russian army is trying to destroy the region's power system.

Ukrainians, marking their second Christmas since changing to celebrate on the same day as the West, sheltered in underground metro stations as the deadly salvo of missiles soared towards them.

"Russia's Christmas gift to Ukraine: more than 70 missiles and 100 drones," US ambassador Bridget Brink said. "For the third holiday season, Russia weaponises winter."

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Four dead in Kursk region

In the east, Ukrainian soldiers celebrated Christmas by candlelight as they ate together near the frontline.

Fighting continues to be tough in Donbas, as Russian forces push forward and make steady gains.

On Wednesday, Russia's defence ministry said its forces had taken the settlement of Vidrodzhennia.

Across the border, in Russia's Kursk region, four people were killed and five injured in the town of Lgov after Ukrainian shelling, the region's acting governor said.

"A five-storey residential building, two single-storey residential buildings and a single-storey beauty salon were seriously damaged," Alexander Khinshtein wrote on Telegram.

Pope calls for peace talks

In the Vatican, Pope Francis mentioned the war in Ukraine directly during his Christmas Day message, calling for "the boldness needed to open the door to negotiation".

Speaking to thousands of people from the balcony of St Peter's Basilica, he said: "May the sound of arms be silenced in war-torn Ukraine!"

He also called for "gestures of dialogue and encounter, in order to achieve a just and lasting peace".

(c) Sky News 2024: 'No respite even at Christmas': Starmer condemns Russian missile strikes on Ukraine