Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed has criticized President Bola Tinubu’s tax reform policies, calling them “anti-northern” and threatening that the region would “show its true colours” in response. Speaking on Thursday, the governor, who also chairs the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors Forum, argued that the Tax Reform Bills disproportionately benefit other regions, while shortchanging the north.

Mohammed’s comments were made during his reception of the Christian community in Bauchi State at the Government House on Wednesday, where he acknowledged their support during his political career. The gathering was part of the annual Christmas homage.

The governor urged Tinubu to reconsider the reforms, labeling them “anti-people” and stressing that policies should reflect the needs and concerns of all Nigerians. He emphasized that no policy should be imposed on the people, particularly in a democracy like Nigeria, where government is not run as an oligarchy or under military rule.

“Whenever a policy is unpopular, the government must listen to the people,” Mohammed said. “This is not an oligarchy or military rule; this is a democracy, and leaders must be responsive to the voices of the people. If they continue to ignore the people, they are inviting unrest.”

He also expressed concerns about the economic challenges facing the country, including widespread hunger and hardship, urging Nigerians to pray for the nation’s leadership. The governor called on the federal government to adjust its policies to address the growing discontent, particularly regarding the tax reforms, which he said were ill-suited to the economic realities of the north.

Mohammed warned that if the government continued down its current path, the north would “fight for its interests,” stressing that northern Nigeria faced particular difficulties under the new policies. “It’s not just about pride or ego; it’s about ensuring that the people are supported,” he added. “The current policies are not helping us; we won’t be able to generate revenue to pay salaries or build infrastructure.”

The governor also expressed discontent with the perceived imbalance in the policies, suggesting that they favored specific regions or states over others. “It’s not about religion or tribe; it’s about national unity and good governance,” he said. “The presidency must listen to us, or we will show our true colours. We are not afraid of anyone, including the president. We respect the office, but we will not allow anyone to disregard us.”

In his closing remarks, Mohammed called for unity and patience among Nigerians, emphasizing that peace was essential for the country’s progress. He also appealed for divine intervention, hoping that God would guide the president and his administration to adopt policies that benefit all Nigerians and foster national cohesion.

Finally, he thanked the Christian community in Bauchi for their enduring support, saying that his efforts in office were a reflection of the support he had received over the years.

At least 11 people have been reportedly killed in Tor Azege community in Kwande Local Government Area of Benue State.

Locals said that the incident happened on Christmas Day and splilled into Thursday.

But there were conflicting reports about the number of casualties as some residents claimed that 26 people were killed during a Christmas service at NKST Azege in Kwande while others placed the death toll at 11.

President General of Mzough U Tiv (MUT), an umbrella body of the Tiv nation, Iorbee Ihagh, told journalists in Makurdi that information available to him suggested that 11 people were killed during the Christmas day attack on communities in Kwande LGA.

Ihagh described the attack as unprovoked, alleging that armed men invaded the community, leaving many dead and others missing.

“Leaders of the affected areas have reported the incident to the police,” he said.

Joseph Har, the Special Adviser on Internal Security to the Benue Governor, confirmed the attack but declined to provide further details.

Efforts to reach the Director-General of Homeland Security, Jacob Gbamwuan, were unsuccessful as his line was not connecting at the time of this report.

Police spokesperson for Benue Command, Catherine Anene told our correspondent on the telephone that she was yet to receive any report about the incident in Kwande LGA.

Daily Trust

Israel strikes Houthi targets in Yemen, killing six

Israel struck multiple targets linked to the Iran-aligned Houthi movement in Yemen on Thursday, including Sanaa International Airport, and Houthi media said at least six people were killed.

The head of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said he was about to board a plane at the airport when it came under attack. A crew member on the plane was injured, he said.

The Israeli military said that in addition to striking the airport, it also hit military infrastructure at the ports of Hodeidah, Salif and Ras Kanatib on Yemen's west coast. It also attacked the country's Hezyaz and Ras Kanatib power stations.

The Houthi-controlled Saba news agency said that three people were killed in the strikes on the airport and three were killed in Hodeidah, while 40 others were wounded in the attacks.

Later on Thursday, the Houthis said they were ready to respond quickly to the attack and meet "escalation with escalation", Houthi-run Al Masirah TV reported.

Houthis have repeatedly fired drones and missiles towards Israel in what they describe as acts of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in an interview with Channel 14 that Israel was only at the beginning of its campaign against the Houthis. "We are just getting started with them," he said.

The prime minister has been strengthened at home by the Israeli military's campaign against Iran-backed Hezbollah forces in southern Lebanon and by its destruction of most of the Syrian army's strategic weapons.

Reuters

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

God is with us – Putin

God is with Russia, President Vladimir Putin has said, expressing confidence that Moscow would prevail in its conflict with Ukraine.

Putin spoke with reporters on Thursday after a meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council (SEEC) in St. Petersburg.

Asked whether he believes that the Ukraine conflict will end in 2025 with a Russian victory, he said: “I believe in God. And God is with us.”

He brushed off reports that the US is planning to propose to “freeze” the conflict along the current front line in exchange for a delay in Ukraine’s membership in NATO.

Putin said that such a delay was first proposed by outgoing President Joe Biden in 2021, adding that the US was told at the time that such a deal would be unacceptable to Moscow.

“We are also striving to end the conflict,” Putin said, stressing that Russia’s “number one goal” for 2025 is achieving victories on the battlefield.

“We believe that we will be successful on the front line and accomplish our objectives in the field of the economy, as well as resolve social issues, the issues of military security, and security in the broadest sense,” the president said. “We will continue moving in accordance with our plans.”

US President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to negotiate a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine within hours of taking office. While he has declined to discuss any specifics of his proposal, the American media has cited several anonymous sources as saying that it could involve “freezing” the conflict with each side keeping the territory it currently controls. Both Moscow and Kiev have rejected an idea of an unconditional ceasefire.

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Russian drone attack kills two in Ukraine's Donetsk region, several injured in Dnipropetrovsk

Russian drones struck a multi-storey apartment building in the front line town of Chasiv Yar in Donetsk region of Ukraine on Thursday, killing two people and injuring two, regional prosecutors said.

Chasiv Yar has been under attack by Russian forces for many months in Donetsk region, the focus of Russia's drive westward to capture the Donbas, which also includes Luhansk region. The town lies west of Bakhmut, a regional centre which fell to Russian forces in May 2023 after months of heavy fighting.

Regional officials in Dnipropetrovsk region, further west, said a drone strike on the market in the town of Nikopol injured eight people on Thursday morning.

Seven of those injured were treated in hospital after the strike damaged stalls at the market, Dnipropetrovsk governor Serhiy Lysak wrote on the Telegram messaging app.

Nikopol, a frequent target of Russian attacks, lies on the opposite bank of a large reservoir from the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.

Russian forces struck an industrial area of the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia, regional governor Ivan Fedorov said on Telegram. No injuries were reported.

The attacks in Ukraine's east come after Russia's Christmas Day attack on the country's energy system, killing one person in Dnipropetrovsk region.

The Ukrainian military said on Thursday it shot down 20 drones out of 31 launched by Russia overnight.

RT/Reuters

Apart from General Sani Abacha, I have met one-on-one with every Nigerian leader since 1992, from General Ibrahim Babangida. However, I have only participated in one televised live group media chat with former President Olusegun Obasanjo. 

If you have met Obasanjo before – whether for an interview or anything else – you might agree that he’s a handful and more. You never know what to expect with Obasanjo, especially when he is in his lair. 

I narrowly missed being punched by the former president during an untelevised interview in his Library in the Villa in 2004 for asking why his government was letting a political outlaw, Chris Uba, run amok in Anambra State. The combined effort of presidential aides, the late Remi Oyo and Julius Ihonbvere, rescued me from Obasanjo’s fury.  

Are you OPC?

My experience wasn’t very different during the live presidential media chat. I had asked him why he ordered a shoot-on-sight against members of the militant Yoruba self-determination group Oodua People’s Congress (OPC), which operated mainly in the South West, Obasanjo’s home base.

He was livid. He warned me, on air, that if I were going to bring the irreverence of my weekly column to the Villa, he would immediately throw me out of the panel. I insisted on an answer, to which he said, “If you’re a member of OPC, tell your people that I mean what I said!”

Three presidents, different styles

Presidents Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, Goodluck Jonathan, and Muhammadu Buhari, whom I also met at different times in different untelevised encounters in the line of duty, were distinct in their peculiar ways. 

Yar’Adua spoke a little, measuredly and candidly. Jonathan was gentle, felicitous, and vulnerable without a care in the world. Buhari was taciturn, defensive, and tight-lipped, except when you touched on a raw nerve, mainly around his family or his relationship with Babangida, with whom he has had a fascinating Tom-and-Jerry relationship. 

I poked Buhari on this soft spot in an untelevised group interview in 2016. His unusually animated, angry reply inspired a widely publicised story that covered The Interview magazine, entitled “Why Babangida removed me from power.”

Road to interview

The Monday televised interview with President Bola Tinubu differed in many ways. Multiple sources, including those inside his cabinet, had pressured him to host an interview many times, but he refused, insisting that the time was not right and that there was much to be done. 

In October, 17 months into his presidency, there was a nearly interview on the eve of the planned second round of the #EndBadGovernance protest. He cancelled at the last minute for personal reasons. 

When I received a message on December 18 that I had been selected for a panel to interview the president, I assumed it would be live. Not that there’s any journalistic rule forbidding a recorded interview. Some of the best interviews I’ve read about or seen, from Oriana Fallaci to Larry King, were recorded. In a more recent example, the CNN interview with President-elect Donald Trump was recorded on November 25 and aired on December 12.

Live or recorded?

However, I hoped the interview with Tinubu would be live – a point I later found was shared by all panel members – because this was the first nearly halfway into his presidency. If eating this toad had taken 19 months, it’s better to eat it big for Nigerians to hear their president engaging them unfiltered. 

The choice of live or recorded can sometimes be tricky. Like Ebenezer Obey’s famous story in the song of the Journeyman and his Donkey, you can’t please everyone. Some want it live because it allows spontaneity and could sometimes be a window on the persona of the interviewee. Others prefer a live interview for traps to catch the interviewee in their unguarded moments, which is why others oppose it.

The panel

We—a panel of seven—comprising Reuben Abati (ARISE TV/ThisDay), Maupe Ogun-Yusuf (Channels TV), Nnamdi Odikpo (NTA), Jide Otitoju (TVC), Umar Farouk Musa (VOA), Ruth Olurounbi (Bloomberg News), and me—wanted to have this interview live and for two hours for the reasons I’ve explained.

That didn’t happen. Hours before the interview, which was postponed from Sunday to Monday because of the tragic deaths from palliative stampedes in different parts of the country, we finally settled for 90 minutes. The questions were entirely ours to decide, and that was what happened. 

Some folks have been upset that the interview was not live and, to make matters worse, not a brawl. One gentleman, obviously with a heavy heart, said, “I expected my seniors on the job to rattle the President.” I get that. Another was not even interested in the interview. He aimed at me instead, saying that even though I’m an Igbo man (which I’m not), I did not wear a red cap (which I’ve never worn) because of an “inferiority complex!”

To cut or not?

It's the nature of recorded interviews—and this one was no exception—that not everything is aired. Twenty questions were prepared, and at least 17 were asked point-blank, excluding unscripted queries and follow-ups. 

Among the unaired questions were whether the President considered Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), a political liability and whether direct payments to the local governments were not a derogation of the principle of federalism, which recognises the centre and the states as the fundamental constituent units of the federation. 

Questions also arose about #Endsars and state police and whether the president would request the Code of Conduct Bureau to release his assets, as one or two newspapers requested under the FOIA of 2011.

His answers were fascinating. He described Wike as a performing minister and a very good man. He said it twice, slowly but louder and with a hearty laughter of approval the second time. In response to the Supreme Court's judgement on local government autonomy, he said, “There are at least two ideological views on that. The thing is that the constitution created the local governments, and there isn’t such a thing as ‘unfunded mandate.’” 

Translation: If the law created local governments, it is not unlawful for them to receive their funding directly. That debate continues.

‘I’ll consider’

On state police, he said he didn’t expect any obstacles but expected a negotiated outcome in the country’s best interest. His response to the question on asset declaration was even more fascinating. I remember that in 2012 this question left Jonathan with a media chat black eye. He was asked if he didn’t care about the growing public demand that he should declare his assets. In what was initially thought to be a slip, he said, “I don’t give a damn!” That turned out to be a damn good headline the next day. 

Tinubu took a different approach. He said he had done his part by filing his assets as required by the law and would do so again at the point of exit. But when asked if he would ask the CCB to release it since there is currently no law mandating the CCB, despite the FOIA, he said, “I will consider doing so.” That, I think, is worth holding onto.

Everything couldn’t be covered in a one-hour broadcast, and perhaps one live or recorded interview will hardly satisfy the pent-up hunger to hear the president. But one presidential interview at a time, the gap is closing.

** Ishiekwene is the Editor-In-Chief of LEADERSHIP and author of Writing for Media and Monetising It.

If you wanted to figure out what really matters for raising happy, successful kids, you’d need to randomly select a bunch of babies from a broad spectrum of backgrounds. Then you’d need to follow them for decades. Only after measuring a multitude of factors about their personalities, families, schools, and neighborhoods could you tease out what matteredand what didn’t.  

That sounds like a tall ask. But thanks to a team of dedicated psychologists who have been following and intimately recording the lives of more than 1,000 kids from the New Zealand town of Dunedin since 1972, we actually have such a study. 

The scientists now have more than 40 years of data. What has it all revealed about how to raise well-adjusted, financially successful kids?  

What 40 years of data says about raising successful kids 

More than 1,000 scientific papers worth of insight, actually, as this deep-dive article from Science into the history of “one of the more comprehensive and probing investigations of human development ever conducted” makes clear. 

Analyses of the Dunedin data have found that most troublemakers grow out of juvenile delinquency, that mental health problems are more common than previously believed, and that early puberty is particularly stressful for girls. 

It’s a grab bag of fascinating results, but which is the most useful for entrepreneur parents hoping to give their kids the best shot at a good life? Perhaps the incredible importance of building kids’ emotional intelligencefor later-in-life success.

The best predictor of kids’ success? Emotional intelligence 

Parents often stress about their kids’ academic performance, worth ethic, and behavior toward others. Those things are clearly important. But according to the Dunedin study, none of them is the best predictor of whether a particular child will grow up to lead a satisfying, financially stable life. Neither is the wealth, education, or socioeconomic status of the parents. 

What seems to matter most is whether kids understand their emotions and manage their reactions to them constructively. 

Psychologist Daniel Goleman, often referred to as the godfather of emotional intelligence for his role in popularizing the concept, summed up the Dunedin findings in a recent keynote: “What they found was that in their 30s, the strongest predictor of financial success was cognitive control, stronger than IQ and stronger than the wealth of the family they grew up in. So how well you do in your life depends on your levels of cognitive control.”

EQ is a skill, not a trait. 

You may have heard of the famous (if much debated) marshmallow test that asks kids to resist eating a tasty marshmallow for a few minutes to get two marshmallows later on. This is the kind of emotional intelligence Goleman and the Dunedin researchers are talking about. 

It’s the ability to understand and, if necessary, override your feelings and impulses. There’s an incredible amount of science to show it impacts not just how successful kids are later in life, but how we all do in life. (For confirmation, you can ask Adam Grant or Oprah.) 

Which might make you worry if you suspect your kid wouldn’t be able to resist gobbling that marshmallow. But there’s good news from Dunedin for parents. Not only did the study show just how important EQ is for kids’ later success, but it also showed that this kind of EQ isn’t an inborn trait. It can be cultivated. 

“The research indicated that self-control is not only a personal trait but can also be influenced by external factors such as parenting, education, and early intervention programs. Children who receive support and guidance in developing self-control skills tend to fare better as adults. This underscores the importance of fostering these abilities from a young age,” explainspediatrician Harry Goldstein 

How to cultivate your child’s EQ

There’s plenty of advice out there on how parents can support the development of their kid’s EQ. Tips include helping your child talk through their emotions and empathizing with them, modeling curiosity and humility, and even exposing them to art and literature as a way to think through the complexities of being human. 

Read up on fostering emotional intelligence by following the links above for more information, but the essential takeaway for parents from the Dunedin study is just how valuable EQ is for kids. 

Emotional intelligence isn’t just about being nice or even keeled. It’s a fundamental skill that greatly impacts how well kids do emotionally and financially. Which means parents should probably pay as much attention to it as they do to report cards and manners. 

Inc

An Israeli soldier who died 417 days after his Oct. 7 wounds has become a symbol of sacrifice

For more than 400 days after being critically wounded during Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel, Yona Brief tried to recover. But after losing both legs and enduring medically induced comas, the combat medic died in late November.

The dual Israeli-American citizen has come to symbolize the sacrifice by hundreds of fallen soldiers in what many in Israel see as a war for the country’s survival.

“He became a symbol of ‘Don’t quit,’” said his mother, Hazel. His father, David, compared him to the oil that lit the candelabra in the Hannukah story, miraculously burning longer than expected, according to Jewish tradition.

More than 800 Israeli soldiers have been killed since Hamas’ attack, about 300 of them on the initial day and the rest in Gaza or in the war against Hezbollah in Lebanon. Thousands of others have been wounded, many of them seriously. The war in Gaza has killed nearly 45,000 Palestinians, while over 3,500 people have been killed in Lebanon, according to local health officials.

Serving in Israel’s military is compulsory for most Jews. Soldiers’ service is revered, and Israelis see their sacrifice as deeply moving. Public opinion in previous wars has often been swayed by high soldier casualties.

Months before Brief was called into action on Oct. 7, he had been seriously wounded, also in his legs, by a pipe bomb during a commando raid while serving in the occupied West Bank.

The weekend of Oct. 7 was his first on duty after his recovery.

As militants attacked from Gaza, he and his seven-soldier commando unit raced to join the Israeli army’s house-by-house war in the communal farming villages, military bases and towns along the border.

His father said Brief’s unit was ordered to clear the Kibbutz Kfar Aza, where Hamas fighters ambushed them, killing two soldiers.

When Brief rushed to help one of them, he was shot 13 times.

Suddenly, his training as a medic was used to save himself.

His father said he cinched tourniquets around his mutilated legs and dragged himself and a fellow soldier into a nearby bullet-ravaged home. There, the family of Hadas Eilon-Carmi hid in a reinforced room and later described Brief as the soldier “full of blood.”

Brief was evacuated to a hospital hours later. The other soldier, his commanding officer, died at the scene.

The hospital stay was grueling, too. Brief was the most critically wounded patient from the Oct. 7 attack to be treated at Sheba Medical Center in Tel Aviv, the country’s largest hospital.

After his legs were amputated, he teetered between life and death.

He had more than 20 surgeries. His doctors told Israeli media he received more than 200 units of blood. The hospital brought specialists and surgeons from around the world in a bid to save him.

Eilon-Carmi’s family became close with his family, visiting Brief in the hospital and praying for his recovery.

“Yona represents everything I want an Israeli to be,” she said.

Brief’s determination to live became a source of inspiration for the doctors and medical staff, who had been overwhelmed by work and heartbreak in the early days of the war, said Steve Walz, the international spokesperson for Sheba Medical Center.

Though there were periods when Brief was in a medically induced coma, he was often awake and lucid, even lively.

He was grateful for what remained, his mother said.

He worked out in his hospital bed, raising a barbell above his head. He sang and danced with visitors. Once, he even left the hospital to spend the night in his family home but his medical issues brought him back.

Brief’s parents said there were sparks of joy in the nearly 14 months after he was wounded. Chefs cooked him special meals like sushi. Politicians and influencers visited, and Israel’s top musicians played by his bedside. He turned 23.

But while his parents said his spirit never wavered, his liver finally failed after months of heavy medication.

Hundreds attended his funeral, and tributes poured in from all walks of Israeli life.

“With Yona, every day he had to fight for this victory and that’s why his heroism is extraordinary,” said Chili Tropper, an Israeli opposition lawmaker who became close with Brief and his family. “For him, during 417 days, every single day was a war.”

AP

In his Christmas message, the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Kukah, has criticized the federal government for its failure to address the widespread hunger and economic hardship that have led to deadly stampedes in several parts of the country. The tragic incidents, which occurred last week during food palliative distributions in Oyo, Anambra, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), resulted in the deaths of at least 67 people. Bishop Kukah described these tragedies as a symbol of the desperation many Nigerians are experiencing due to the government’s inability to respond effectively to the country’s deepening hunger crisis.

“The tragedies that occurred in Okija, Ibadan, and Abuja, where innocent people lost their lives in stampedes at food distribution points, are a metaphor for the desperation that citizens have been thrown into,” Kukah said. He attributed these avoidable deaths to the government’s failure to adequately address the economic crisis, stressing that the lack of concrete measures to tackle hunger has exacerbated the suffering of ordinary Nigerians.

The bishop expressed dismay over Nigeria’s stagnation despite its 60 years of independence, lamenting the lack of progress in governance, which he blamed on entrenched issues of ethnicity, nepotism, and greed. He called on the government to work more closely with institutions, such as the Catholic Church’s St. Vincent de Paul Society, which helps provide for the vulnerable, to address the widespread poverty and hunger.

Kukah also highlighted the barriers preventing Nigeria’s youth from participating in politics, particularly the high cost of running for public office. While he acknowledged the positive impact of the “Not Too Young to Run” initiative, he noted that the financial and bureaucratic hurdles still make it difficult for young people to engage in politics. The bishop urged the government to extend educational loan schemes to those pursuing vocational and technical skills, ensuring that opportunities are accessible to all, not just those attending universities.

Addressing the country’s insecurity, Kukah linked the crisis to corruption, unemployment, and religious extremism, calling for a comprehensive plan to secure the nation. He warned that Nigeria cannot win the war against insecurity without tackling these underlying issues.

While mourning the tragic loss of lives in the recent stampedes, Bishop Kukah concluded by calling on the government to ensure that the basic dignity of Nigerian citizens is upheld, and to work more effectively with institutions that promote the common good of society. He expressed his condolences to the families of the victims and prayed for peace in the country.

“May God grant eternal rest to the dead and console their families. It is the duty of government to ensure minimum dignity for our people,” he said.

A tragic airstrike on Wednesday morning has left several villagers feared dead in two communities in Silame Local Government Area of Sokoto State. Fighter jets, reportedly targeting terrorists from the Lakurawa group, bombed the villages of Gidan Sama and Rumtuwa, situated near the Surame Forest—an area known to be a stronghold for bandits and terrorists.

Local residents have claimed that over 10 villagers were killed and many others injured when bombs dropped on the peaceful communities at around 7am. One villager, who survived the attack, described the scene as one of chaos, with innocent people, many of whom had no criminal background, suddenly caught in the bombing.

Silame LGA Chairman, Abubakar Muhammad Daftarana, expressed his concern, noting that while the assessment of damage was still ongoing, the villagers were primarily peaceful and uninvolved in criminal activity. He refrained from giving specific casualty figures, citing the ongoing efforts to assess the full scale of the damage.

In response to media reports of civilian casualties, the Nigerian military has firmly denied targeting non-combatants. Abubakar Abdullahi, the joint media coordinator for Operation Hadarin Daji, stated that the airstrikes were aimed specifically at identified locations linked to the Lakurawa terrorist group, which has been terrorizing local communities. Abdullahi emphasized that all military operations are based on “thorough intelligence and reconnaissance missions” to ensure precision and avoid civilian harm.

He further explained that the military follows a rigorous process to minimize risks to innocent lives, but acknowledged that terrorist groups may attempt to exploit such incidents through disinformation. Olusola Akinboyewa, spokesperson for the Nigerian Air Force, confirmed the airstrikes were carried out based on credible intelligence from multiple sources, including aerial surveillance. However, he stated that any reports of civilian harm would be thoroughly investigated, and updates would be provided accordingly.

The conflicting accounts of the airstrike have raised concerns, with locals mourning the loss of life, while the military defends its actions as part of the broader fight against terrorism and banditry in the region.

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Russia launches 'inhuman' Christmas Day attacks, Ukraine says

Russia attacked Ukraine's energy system and some cities with cruise and ballistic missiles plus drones on Wednesday in an "inhuman" Christmas Day assault, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said.

Nearly three years into the war, the strikes wounded at least six people in the northeastern city of Kharkiv and killed one in the region of Dnipropetrovsk, the governors there said.

U.S. President Joe Biden denounced the "outrageous" attack and said he had asked the U.S. Defense Department to push forward with a new surge of military aid to Kyiv.

Half a million people in Kharkiv region were left without heating, in temperatures just a few degrees Celsius above zero, while there were blackouts in the capital Kyiv and elsewhere.

"Today, (Russian President Vladimir) Putin deliberately chose Christmas to attack. What could be more inhuman? More than 70 missiles, including ballistic missiles, and more than a hundred attack drones," he said.

Russia's Defence Ministry confirmed it had conducted a "massive strike" on what it said were critical energy facilities supporting the work of Kyiv's "military-industrial complex".

"The aim of the strike was achieved. All facilities have been hit," it said in a statement.

Ukraine's military said its air defences downed 59 Russian missiles and 54 drones overnight and on Wednesday morning.

Biden, who is being replaced by Donald Trump next month, said the purpose of the attack was "to cut off the Ukrainian people's access to heat and electricity during winter and to jeopardize the safety of its grid".

Washington has committed $175 billion in aid for Ukraine. It is not certain the flow will continue at that pace under Trump, who has said he wants to bring the war to a quick end.

In Moldova, Ukraine's western neighbour, pro-European President Maia Sandu said one Russian missile crossed through her country's airspace during the air assault.

"While our countries are celebrating Christmas, the Kremlin has chosen the path of destruction, launching strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure and violating Moldova's airspace," Sandu wrote on social media.

Moldova has seen several cases of drone fragments landing on its territory and missiles passing through its airspace.

Ukrainians were marking their second Christmas on Wednesday, according to a new calendar in another step towards erasing Russian influence.

Most Ukrainians are Orthodox Christians and the independent Orthodox Church of Ukraine, set up in 2018, agreed in 2023 to move away from the traditional Julian calendar used in Russia where Christmas is on Jan. 7.

Russia has intensified attacks on the Ukrainian energy sector since spring of this year, damaging almost half of its generating capacity and causing prolonged blackouts.

'RUSSIA WEAPONIZES WINTER'

Ukraine's air force said Kharkiv was attacked by ballistic missiles. Regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said on Telegram there was damage to civilian non-residential infrastructure, without giving more detail.

Dnipropetrovsk Governor Serhiy Lysak said the fatality there occurred in an attack on regional power facilities.

"Since the morning, the Russian army has been massively attacking the Dnipro region. It is trying to destroy the region's power system," he said.

Ukrainian Energy Minister German Galushchenko said on Facebook that Russia was massively attacking the power sector and that restrictions on electricity supply were in place.

Ukraine's largest private energy company DTEK said its generating facilities were attacked, with power equipment seriously damaged, in the 13th large-scale assault on the energy sector this year.

"We appeal to every ally of Ukraine to end this state-sponsored terrorism now by giving our armed forces the air defence ammunition they need to protect essential energy infrastructure," DTEK CEO Maxim Timchenko said in a statement.

"Russia's Christmas gift to Ukraine: more than 70 missiles and 100 drones, directed at Ukrainian families celebrating in their homes and the energy infrastructure that keeps them warm," said U.S. Ambassador Bridget Brink.

"For the third holiday season, Russia weaponizes winter."

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Russian barrage hits Ukrainian defense infrastructure – MOD

Russian forces conducted massive long-range precision strikes against targets in Ukraine on Wednesday morning, the Defense Ministry in Moscow has reported.

Missiles and drones were launched at “critically important objects of Ukrainian energy infrastructure supporting the operation of the military-industrial complex,” the ministry said in a regular update. The Russian military said it had achieved all the goals it set for the strikes.

Moscow used some 70 missiles and over 100 kamikaze drones in the attack, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Aleksey Kuleba claimed. Targets in six regions of the country came under fire, the senior official said, blaming damage caused by the weapons for exacerbating power and heating problems in Ukraine.

Ukrainian authorities announced rolling blackouts to stabilize the power grid, after detecting incoming Russian weapons. Energy Minister German Galuschenko said the measure was necessary to minimize the fallout from the expected damage.

Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky claimed that Moscow deliberately “chose Christmas” for the strikes, referring to the fact that many Christians celebrate the holy day on Wednesday.

Orthodox Christians, the predominant religious denomination in Ukraine, use a different calendar and will celebrate Christmas on January 7. Kiev has been pushing the population to mark it Western-style rather than sticking to the traditional religious date as part of its campaign to sever all cultural and spiritual ties with Russia.

The Russian military previously reported the interception overnight of 59 Ukrainian drones launched against targets inside Russia. Of those, 26 robotic aircraft were downed over the border Belgorod Region, according to the statement.

On Wednesday morning, a powerful explosion rocked a shopping mall in the southern Russian city of Vladikavkaz, setting it on fire. Regional head Sergey Menyailo reported that it was likely caused by a downed plane-type drone, adding that investigators were looking for evidence at the scene. A woman was killed in the incident.

Reuters/RT