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Russian-Ukrainian exchanges of strikes in late December were accompanied by significant diplomatic statements. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that on the night of December 28-29, the “Kyiv regime” carried out a “terrorist attack” on a Russian presidential state residence in the Novgorod region using 91 strike unmanned aerial vehicles.
He claimed that all drones were destroyed and emphasized that the incident occurred during intense Russian-American negotiations on settling the Ukrainian conflict. Lavrov stated that the “reckless actions” would not go unanswered, with targets and timing for retaliatory strikes already determined, and that Russia’s negotiating position would be revised due to the “Kyiv regime’s shift to a policy of state terrorism.” At the same time, he noted that Russia does not intend to withdraw from the negotiation process with the United States.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the statement about the attack on the residence “another lie,” linking it to his talks with U.S. President Donald Trump the day before. He suggested that Russia is thus laying the groundwork for strikes, possibly on government buildings in Kyiv, and called on Western partners to intensify work with Moscow.
Strikes on Ukrainian Territory
Against the backdrop of intensive negotiations, Russian attacks on the night of December 29 were minimal. Ukrainian air defense reported the destruction of 21 drones.
The most significant impact on the energy grid in the Kyiv region was inflicted by the earlier wave of massive attacks. In Brovary and Vyshhorod, restoring the damaged substation could take up to a week or even several weeks. Emergency power outages persisted in Odesa, and city electric transport was not operating. In Kryvyi Rih (Dnipropetrovsk region), disruptions in heating and water supply continued.
Amid the energy crisis, the Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office reported uncovering a scheme for the theft of electricity worth 168 million hryvnias at the company “Ukrenergo.” According to the investigation, “Ukrenergo” provided electricity to a supplier through imbalances (when there is more energy in the grid than needed). This electricity was then transferred by the supplier to an industrial enterprise, which did not pay for it. “Ukrenergo” did not apply any sanctions. Suspicion fell on the director of a commercial enterprise, the former director of the electricity supplier, and an official from “Ukrenergo.”
Russian drones reportedly attacked targets in the port of Yuzhne (Odesa region) and in the Vasylivka area (Dnipropetrovsk region). Reports also mentioned an explosion and fire on the Druzhba main gas pipeline in Zakarpattia. The official cause of the blaze has not yet been reported. However, given that Ukrainian forces have previously carried out multiple strikes on the Druzhba oil pipeline, which supplies Russian oil to Hungary, another Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) sabotage operation cannot be ruled out. Strikes on airfields in Poltava and Mykolaiv regions were also reported.
On the previous day, December 28, strikes were reported on a ferry crossing in Vylkove (Odesa region), on aviation logistics facilities in Poltava and Zhytomyr, as well as explosions in Kharkiv and Sumy. In Poltava region, hits on an energy facility were noted. In Kyiv, energy providers in some districts switched to a so-called “half-supply” scheme, including electricity for elevators but not for apartments.
Strikes on Russian Territory
The Russian side reported that on the night of December 29, its air defense systems destroyed 89 Ukrainian drones over several regions: 49 over Bryansk region, 18 over Novgorod region, 11 over Adygea, 7 over Krasnodar Krai, and one each over Oryol, Rostov, Smolensk regions and the Sea of Azov.
In Adygea, local residents reported explosions and an attempted attack on the Khanskaya military airfield in Maykop, but no confirmation of its damage was received.
The day before, on December 28, attacks occurred on facilities in Samara region. The Ukrainian side claimed damage to the Syzran oil refinery and a substation in Syzran, which reportedly led to power outages in the city.
The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces also claimed strikes on a boat parking area in Crimea, a repair base in the Luhansk People’s Republic (LPR), and a pontoon crossing in Makiivka (DPR). An attack on a command post of the Russian Defense Ministry’s Main Directorate (GRU) in DPR was also reported.
Against the backdrop of the strikes, some Russian experts note NATO involvement in tracking Russian strike drones. According to their observations, NATO Airborne Early Warning and Control (AWACS) aircraft, such as the E-3A, as well as NATO tanker aircraft, regularly operate in the attack areas. These assets are conducting reconnaissance and are presumed to be transmitting data on drone trajectories and flight patterns to Ukrainian air defense systems, which are integrated into Western command networks.
These sources also report the use of increasingly complex tactics by Ukrainian forces. For instance, observers note that Ukrainian units have begun using group drone attacks resembling aviation tactics. Heavy octocopter-“bombers” operate in conjunction with lighter FPV drones performing cover functions. Such groups are capable of jointly performing complex tasks: for example, sequentially using drones with different types of munitions (high-explosive, incendiary, fragmentation) to hit protected targets and personnel. According to analysts, this, combined with external intelligence support and increased drone production, allows Ukraine to compensate for the shortage of traditional weapons and put pressure on Russian positions.
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you can’t trust the west. they just tried magnicide.. russia must win in the battlefield.