On the night of December 6, 2025, the war in Ukraine took another grim turn as Russia unleashed a massive missile and drone barrage, striking at the heart of Ukraine’s energy and civilian infrastructure. According to Ukraine’s air force, the attack involved a staggering 653 drones and 51 missiles, setting off air raid alerts across the country and leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. Ukrainian forces, scrambling to defend their skies, managed to shoot down and neutralize 585 drones and 30 missiles, but 29 locations were nevertheless struck, leaving at least eight people wounded, as confirmed by Ukraine’s Minister of Internal Affairs, Ihor Klymenko (Sky News).
This latest escalation came as US and Ukrainian officials were meeting for a third day of talks aimed at finding a pathway to peace. Both sides reported progress on a security framework for post-war Ukraine, but they also made it clear: any real breakthrough would depend on Russia’s willingness to make a “serious commitment to long-term peace.” For now, the violence on the ground told a different story.
Russia’s targets were clear. According to Ukraine’s national energy operator, Ukrenergo, the “massive missile-drone attack” focused on power stations and other energy infrastructure in multiple regions. The International Atomic Energy Agency reported a particularly worrying development: Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which has been under Russian control since early in the invasion, temporarily lost all off-site power overnight. While the plant is not currently operational, it still requires a steady supply of electricity to cool its six shutdown reactors and spent fuel, in order to prevent a catastrophic nuclear incident (Sky News).
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, never one to mince words, condemned the strikes as “meaningless” from a military perspective. He noted that energy facilities were the primary targets, but also highlighted the human cost—a drone strike had “burned down” a train station in the city of Fastiv, in the Kyiv region. “The Russians’ goal is to hurt millions of Ukrainians, and they have sunk so low that they are launching missiles at peaceful cities on St. Nicholas Day,” Zelenskyy said, calling for continued pressure on Russia through sanctions and for ongoing support for Ukraine’s air defenses. “Sanctions must work, and so must our air defence, which means we must continue to support those who defend our lives,” he added (Sky News).
In a grim tit-for-tat, Russia’s defense ministry reported that its air defenses had shot down 116 Ukrainian drones over Russian territory overnight. Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces struck Russia’s Ryazan Oil Refinery, with footage circulating on Russian Telegram channel Astra showing fire and plumes of smoke rising above the facility. This strike was part of a broader Ukrainian campaign over recent months, using long-range drones to target Russian refineries in an effort to deprive Moscow of vital oil export revenue (Sky News).
Kyiv and its Western allies have repeatedly accused Russia of trying to cripple Ukraine’s power grid to deny civilians heat, light, and running water during the harsh winter months—a strategy Ukrainian officials have labeled “weaponising” the cold. The attack on December 6 was only the latest in a series of efforts to undermine Ukraine’s resilience and morale as the conflict drags on.
The violence was not one-sided. Just a day earlier, on December 5, Russia’s armed forces had carried out one massive strike and four group strikes against Ukrainian military-industrial facilities, energy infrastructure, military transportation, airfields, and drone production workshops, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense (Xinhua). Russian air defense systems claimed to have shot down five long-range "Neptune" cruise missiles, one U.S.-made HIMARS rocket, and a staggering 1,120 Ukrainian drones. In the Black Sea, Russia’s fleet destroyed seven Ukrainian unmanned boats, further escalating tensions on the maritime front.
Russia also reported capturing seven settlements, including Krasnoarmiisk (known as Pokrovsk in Ukraine) and Volchansk, as part of its ongoing ground campaign. By the afternoon of December 5, Ukraine’s General Staff reported that 106 battles had taken place along the frontlines, with the fiercest fighting concentrated near Pokrovsk. The intensity of the conflict on the ground mirrored the relentless attacks from the air, painting a picture of a war with no easy end in sight (Xinhua).
Ukraine, for its part, launched attacks on a port in Russia’s Krasnodar region and an oil refinery in Samara, further demonstrating its capacity for long-range strikes and its willingness to take the fight deep into Russian territory. These attacks, coupled with the strike on the Ryazan refinery, signal a strategic effort by Ukraine to disrupt Russia’s logistics and economic lifelines, particularly its lucrative oil sector (Xinhua).
As the military tit-for-tat continued, diplomatic efforts pressed on. On December 8, President Zelenskyy is scheduled to meet UK Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer in London, where they will be joined by French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to discuss the ongoing negotiations mediated by the US. These talks, while showing some signs of progress, remain overshadowed by the reality on the ground: real peace will require more than words. It will demand a fundamental shift in Russia’s approach, something Ukrainian and Western leaders say has yet to materialize (Sky News).
The recent attacks have added urgency to these diplomatic efforts. The temporary loss of power at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, the destruction of energy infrastructure, and the targeting of civilian sites all highlight the risks of escalation—risks that could have catastrophic consequences not just for Ukraine, but for the broader region. The international community, already deeply invested in the outcome of the conflict, is watching closely, aware that the stakes could hardly be higher.
Meanwhile, ordinary Ukrainians continue to bear the brunt of the violence. With winter setting in, the attacks on energy infrastructure threaten to leave millions without heat or electricity. The psychological toll of constant air raids, coupled with the very real danger of nuclear disaster, hangs heavy over the population. Yet, as Zelenskyy’s remarks make clear, the resolve to resist remains strong. “That is why additional pressure is needed,” he insisted—an appeal for the world not to look away, and for Ukraine’s allies to stand firm in their support.
In the end, the events of December 5 and 6 underscore the complexity and brutality of the war in Ukraine. While diplomats talk of frameworks and future security, the fighting on the ground and in the skies shows no sign of abating. The path to peace, it seems, will be long and fraught with peril, demanding patience, resilience, and—perhaps most of all—a willingness to confront the hard truths of a conflict that has already exacted a heavy toll on both sides.