One person was killed and 11 were wounded by a ballistic missile strike on an apartment block in the Ukrainian city of Kryviy Rih, local officials said on December 24 as clashes were reported along much of the front line in eastern Ukraine amid gains by Russian forces and speculation over the Kremlin’s strategy.
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Ukrainian officials condemned the attack on the building in Kryviy Rih, calling it a direct hit on a four-story residential block with 32 apartments.
Dnipropetrovsk Governor Serhiy Lysak said 11 people had been wounded and seven of them had been hospitalized.
He described three of the wounded as two women, ages 69 and 72, and a 78-year-old man, and said all were in moderate condition. He said later that one man who had been pulled from the rubble could not be revived despite doctors doing everything possible to resuscitate him.
Lysak added that there may still be people buried in the rubble.
Ukraine's human rights ombudsman reacted angrily, noting that the strike occurred on Christmas Eve.
"While other countries of the world are celebrating Christmas, Ukrainians are continuing to suffer from endless Russian attacks," Dmytro Lubinets said on Telegram.
Kryviy Rih, the hometown of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, has regularly been the target of Russian missile attacks throughout the war.
Russia says it does not deliberately target civilians despite widespread evidence to the contrary and thousands of deaths among the civilian population.
Ukraine’s General Staff of the Armed Forces said earlier on December 24 that by mid-morning some 235 clashes had been recorded at the front since the start of the previous day, with intense fighting in the direction of Kharkhiv, Donetsk, and Kupyansk.
It added that Russia lost over 1,600 soldiers and 30 armored vehicles during the period, though the claim could not be independently verified. Moscow rarely comments on its losses in the war.
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Darkness And Drones: Winter Warfare On Ukraine's Front Lines
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said in a report on December 24 that Russia’s priorities in the current fighting remain unclear as troops make incremental advances south and southwest of the key city of Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region.
“It remains unclear if Russian forces will be able to exploit these gains to envelop the town or if they intend to advance to the administrative boundary of Donetsk region,” the ISW said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said last week that Moscow is nearing its primary goal in the war, though he didn’t elaborate.
Ever since Ukraine's counteroffensive to drive out invading Russian forces culminated with little success in October 2023, Russian troops have slowly pushed westward, capturing the Donetsk city of Avdiyivka and then the town of Vuhledar. Russia currently controls about 60 percent of Donetsk.
Russian troops reportedly are just a few kilometers from the edge of Pokrovsk and could be on the verge of taking it.
Pokrovsk is strategically significant because it serves as a major transportation hub, is close to the front lines, and serves as a supply hub for military operations in the Donbas region.
Fear And Hope As Battle For Ukraine’s Pokrovsk Looms
Fighting between Russia and Ukraine has ratcheted up in recent weeks, with Moscow launching waves of drones and missiles across Ukrainian territory, mainly aimed at civilian and energy infrastructure.
Kyiv has countered with attacks on Russian oil and energy targets just inside Russian territory and over the weekend struck high-rise buildings in Kazan, the capital of Russia's oil-rich republic of Tatarstan.
A delegation from Kazan on December 24 traveled to Belgorod to study best practices in organizing civil defenses during drone attacks, according to Kazan media citing a statement by city's mayor, Ilsur Metshin.
Metshin said that Kazan must establish a clear plan so that residents know how to respond in emergencies and where to find shelters.
"Everyone should have this in mind. We will bring the best practice in the country by the end of the week," the mayor said.
He said he understands that in Belgorod all residents can evacuate to shelters within minutes.
Last week Putin dangled the prospect of Russian concessions, saying more than once during his annual question-and-answer conference that Moscow was ready for a compromise.
But he attached numerous conditions to the idea of compromise, suggesting Moscow’s goal of subjugating Ukraine and winning major security guarantees from NATO and the West remain in place, as well as saying he does not consider Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy a legitimate leader.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump -- whose inauguration is set for January 20 -- has said he would move to end the war quickly and during his remarks at Turning Point’s America Fest convention on December 22, said, "We have to end that war. That war is horrible, horrible."