Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
Ukrainian forces have withdrawn from the eastern town of Siversk under sustained pressure from advancing Russian troops, marking another setback for Kyiv’s defenses amid a broad escalation of Russian attacks targeting energy infrastructure across the country.
Ukraine’s General Staff announced on Tuesday that the decision to pull back from Siversk was taken to protect soldiers’ lives and preserve the combat readiness of its units. In a statement posted on Telegram, the military said Russian forces enjoy significant superiority in manpower and equipment and have continued to launch attacks despite suffering heavy losses.
The withdrawal comes as Russia steps up its military campaign ahead of Christmas, combining ground advances in eastern Ukraine with large-scale aerial strikes on energy facilities. Moscow had claimed roughly two weeks earlier that it had seized control of Siversk, one of the last Ukrainian-held positions before the key cities of Kramatorsk and Sloviansk, which remain under Kyiv’s control.
Once home to around 11,000 people before the war, Siversk has been reduced largely to rubble after months of fighting.
At least three people were killed and widespread power outages were reported following Russian strikes on energy infrastructure in several regions. Ukraine has faced repeated attacks on its electricity and gas networks in recent months, placing severe strain on the power grid during the harsh winter season.
According to Ukraine’s air force, Russia launched 635 drones and 38 missiles overnight from Monday into Tuesday. Ukrainian air defenses said they shot down 587 drones and intercepted 34 missiles. President Volodymyr Zelensky said the strikes hit 13 regions, including Kyiv, where air raid sirens sounded for more than four hours on Tuesday morning.
Local authorities reported fatalities in the Kyiv region, the western Khmelnytskyi region, and Zhytomyr in central-western Ukraine, where a young girl was killed. More than ten people were injured, including children.
The attacks triggered fresh electricity outages across multiple areas. Ukraine’s Energy Ministry said repair teams were working to gradually restore stability after what it described as a large-scale assault, adding that electricity consumption restrictions remain in place nationwide.
DTEK, Ukraine’s largest private energy company, said the timing of the strikes—just days before Christmas and during the first prolonged cold spell of winter—revealed what it called Russia’s “malicious strategy.”
Southern regions, including Odesa, have also been repeatedly targeted in recent weeks, which Kyiv views as retaliation for Ukrainian strikes on oil tankers linked to Russia in the Black Sea and the Mediterranean.
Residents described the growing toll on daily life. Olena Dolhashova, a 40-year-old mathematics teacher, said she has been forced to work by candlelight. “The attacks happen weekly,” she said. “Our schedules collapse, we’re left without electricity or stability, and we sit in the dark for days.” Anastasiia Kolakevska, who runs a beauty salon in Odesa, said power cuts lasting up to seven days have become routine.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said the strikes targeted companies within Ukraine’s military-industrial complex and energy facilities that support its operations.
Concerns have also grown over nuclear safety. Serhii Tarakanov, director of the Chernobyl nuclear plant, warned that a Russian strike could compromise the protective structure over the reactor that exploded in 1986. “No one can guarantee the shelter would remain intact,” he said.
Zelensky said the attacks send a “very clear message about Russia’s priorities,” even as diplomatic efforts continue to seek an end to the war. Over the weekend, separate meetings were held in the United States between Russian, Ukrainian, and American negotiators. Kyiv and Washington described the talks as productive, while Moscow spoke of slow progress and criticized Europe’s stance.
In his nightly address on Monday, Zelensky said Ukrainian negotiators would brief him upon their return from Florida, noting that discussions focused heavily on drafting documents related to potential security guarantees for Ukraine in the event of a settlement.
On the battlefield, Russia has also announced the capture of additional settlements in the Kharkiv and Dnipropetrovsk regions, underscoring its steady advances in eastern Ukraine in recent weeks as fighting intensifies on multiple fronts.
