Russia has suffered heavily after Ukraine’s air defense forces destroyed 179 aerial targets during its massive overnight attack.
The December 7, 2025, assault, which targeted critical infrastructure across the country, involved ballistic and aeroballistic missiles as well as waves of attack drones, according to UNN, citing the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The Air Force report further claimed that defenders detected and tracked 246 aerial attack assets during the assault. These included 241 Shahed-type, “Gerbera,” and other attack UAVs—about 150 of them Shaheds—as well as three Kh-47M2 Kinzhal aeroballistic missiles and two Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles.
Air defense units responded with aviation, anti-aircraft missile forces, electronic warfare teams, and mobile fire groups. As of 09:00 AM, Ukrainian forces had shot down or suppressed 179 aerial targets, including 175 UAVs (Shahed, “Gerbera,” and others), 2 Kh-47M2 Kinzhal aeroballistic missiles, and 2 Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles.
Despite these defenses, 65 attack UAVs struck 14 locations, causing damage to multiple sites. Officials stressed that “the attack is ongoing” as of 09:00, with enemy drones still present in Ukrainian airspace.
Emergency outages across regions in Ukraine
The December 7 strike followed a difficult night on December 6, when Russia launched a massive missile and drone attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. According to UNN citing Ukrenergo, the assault forced several regions to implement emergency power outages. The previously established blackout schedules “are currently not in effect,” and energy workers are working to restore a stable supply.
Also Read: Blow to Putin as EU Reaches Deal to End All Russian Gas Imports by 2027
Ukrenergo noted that “the night was difficult: 10 regions were attacked, at least 8 people were injured,” according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
The company added that emergency shutdowns would be canceled once the energy system stabilizes. Citizens were urged to monitor announcements from local distribution operators and to use electricity sparingly where available.
The Ministry of Energy reported that Russian forces also attacked energy facilities in eight regions, triggering wider blackouts and further strain on infrastructure.
Russian losses continue to mount
Russian forces on December 5 suffered major battlefield losses, with 1,180 soldiers and 487 UAVs destroyed in a single day, UNN reports citing the Ukrainian General Staff.
As of December 6, 2025, Russia’s total estimated losses since the start of the full-scale invasion have reached 1,179,790 personnel, along with 11,398 tanks, 23,688 armored vehicles, 34,874 artillery systems, 1,560 MLRS, and 1,253 air defense systems.
Aircraft and helicopter losses remain at 431 and 347, respectively, while destroyed operational-tactical UAVs now total 87,387. Additional losses include 4,024 cruise missiles, 28 ships/boats, 1 submarine, 69,037 vehicles and fuel trucks, and 4,015 units of special equipment.
Fighting
Russian forces carried out a “large-scale” attack on the central Ukrainian city of Kremenchuk overnight, according to the Kyiv Independent. The extent of the damage is still being assessed.
A massive drone and missile assault also hit power facilities in eight Ukrainian regions, causing widespread outages and forcing nuclear power stations to reduce output. According to the Ukrainian military, Russia launched 653 drones and 51 missiles, of which Ukrainian defenses destroyed 585 drones and 30 missiles.
Targets included power and heat generation facilities in Chernihiv, Zaporizhia, Lviv, and Dnipropetrovsk, as well as port facilities in Odesa. A railway depot near Kyiv, in the town of Fastiv, was also damaged, though there were no reports of casualties.
Also Read: Ukrainian Drones Hit Key Russian Govt Offices and Oil Targets
The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, under Russian occupation, temporarily lost all off-site power amid the strikes, the IAEA reported. It was later reconnected to a 330-kW line, while a 750-kW line remained offline.
Russia’s Ministry of Defence confirmed the attacks, calling them a “massive strike” in response to alleged Ukrainian operations on Russian territory. Moscow claimed to have used high-precision, long-range strikes, including Kinzhal hypersonic missiles, and reported shooting down 116 Ukrainian drones over Russia.
Poland scrambled jets due to the scale of Russian activity near its borders but reported no airspace violations.
Meanwhile, Ukraine said its forces struck Russia’s Ryazan oil refinery and a shell-casing manufacturing plant in Alchevsk, in Russian-occupied Luhansk. Ukrainian officials also denied Russian claims of encircling Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad, stating that defense lines and logistics routes remain intact.
Politics and Diplomacy
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported a “long and substantive” call with U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner. They discussed efforts “to genuinely achieve peace,” and agreed on next steps for talks with the United States.
The call followed in-person meetings between Witkoff, Kushner, and Ukrainian negotiator Rustem Umerov in Miami. According to Ukraine’s envoy to the U.S., “the main challenging issues concern territorial matters and security guarantees.”
Zelenskyy is scheduled to meet UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in London on Monday. French President Emmanuel Macron will also travel to London for discussions on the war and U.S.-mediated negotiations with Russia.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban announced that a business delegation will be sent to Russia “in preparation for the end of the Ukraine war,” ahead of Hungary’s upcoming legislative elections.
Follow our WhatsApp Channel and X Account for real-time news updates.
