Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday accused Russia of deliberately carrying the war into the New Year, saying Moscow launched more than 200 attack drones against Ukraine overnight, with energy infrastructure among the targets.
‘More Than Two Hundred Attack Drones’
In a post on X, Zelenskyy said Russia carried out the large-scale overnight assault as the New Year began. “Russia deliberately brings war into the New Year – launching more than two hundred attack drones against Ukraine overnight,” he wrote, adding that most of the drones were successfully intercepted.
He thanked Ukrainian forces for repelling the attack, saying, “Most of them were successfully shot down, and I thank all our warriors who repelled this attack.”
Regions Hit, Energy Infrastructure Targeted
According to Zelenskyy, the strikes affected multiple regions, including Volyn, Rivne, Zaporizhzhia, Odesa, Sumy, Kharkiv and Chernihiv. He said the attacks were directed at Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
Russia deliberately brings war into the New Year – launching more than two hundred attack drones against Ukraine overnight. Most of them were successfully shot down, and I thank all our warriors who repelled this attack. The strikes hit the Volyn, Rivne, Zaporizhzhia, Odesa,… pic.twitter.com/JfijkZ1y7E
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) January 1, 2026
“The targets were our energy infrastructure,” Zelenskyy said, noting that emergency services and power engineers were working on the ground. “Wherever necessary, rescuers are providing assistance, and power engineers are restoring electricity after the strikes.”
Call For Uninterrupted Air Defence Support
Stressing the humanitarian cost of continued attacks, the Ukrainian president said there could be no pause in efforts to protect civilian lives. “The killings must be stopped – there can be no pauses in protecting human life,” he wrote.
Zelenskyy warned that if Russian strikes continued even during the New Year holidays, the delivery of air defence systems should not be delayed. “If the strikes do not stop even during the New Year holidays, then air defense deliveries cannot be delayed,” he said.
Appeal To Allies, US Commitments Cited
Zelenskyy said Ukraine’s allies possessed the necessary equipment and urged them to honour existing commitments. He said Kyiv expected deliveries agreed with the United States at the end of December to arrive on time.
“Our allies have the necessary scarce equipment. We expect that everything agreed with the United States at the end of December for our protection will be delivered on time,” he wrote, adding that he was grateful for international support. “I am grateful to everyone for their readiness to stand with Ukraine and to work for our collective security.”
