Russia Intensifies Strikes Across Ukraine Amidst Ongoing Peace Negotiations, Civilians Injured

Widespread Attacks Target Ukrainian Cities and Infrastructure

Russian forces have conducted a series of coordinated drone and artillery attacks across Ukraine, resulting in civilian casualties and damage to critical infrastructure. On December 16, 2025, strikes were reported in various regions, including Kharkiv, Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia. These attacks involved a range of weaponry, including FPV drones, long-range missiles, and artillery shelling.

In the Kharkiv region, two girls, aged 12 and 17, experienced acute stress reactions following a drone attack on the Belynykivka community. The strike also caused a fire in a private home. The Donetsk region saw two residents injured in Kostiantynivka due to artillery shelling, while a man was killed and two others wounded in Druzhkivka when a Russian drone struck a car.

The Kherson region's Dnipro district was hit by a drone dropping explosives, injuring two women, aged 76 and 48, with shrapnel wounds. Across the broader Kherson region, one person was wounded amidst drone attacks, airstrikes, and artillery shelling that damaged residential buildings, a bus stop, and utility infrastructure. In Zaporizhzhia city, two civilians, a 37-year-old man and a 76-year-old woman, received medical treatment for injuries sustained in a drone attack. The region experienced 851 strikes on 23 settlements, including over 500 drone attacks and 300 artillery strikes, damaging homes and vehicles.

The Sumy region reported one civilian killed in the Velyka Pysarivka community by an FPV drone, and two other men wounded by FPV drones in separate incidents. Earlier in December, Odesa and the surrounding region endured significant assaults, with reports of four people injured and widespread power outages. The Dnipropetrovsk industrial area also suffered a ballistic missile strike on December 1, resulting in four fatalities and 45 injuries.

Escalation Amidst Diplomatic Efforts

These intensified attacks occur concurrently with ongoing international efforts to broker a peace deal. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy indicated on December 16 that proposals negotiated with U.S. officials to end the nearly four-year conflict could be finalized within days. These proposals are expected to be presented to the Kremlin. Talks held in Berlin reportedly resolved '90%' of problematic issues between Ukraine and the U.S., with U.S. President Donald Trump suggesting a peace settlement was 'closer now than we have been, ever'.

However, a significant hurdle remains the fate of Ukrainian territories currently occupied by Russian forces, with President Zelenskyy reiterating Kyiv's refusal to recognize Moscow's control over any part of the Donbas region. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that Russia seeks a comprehensive peace deal, not a temporary truce, aiming to achieve its objectives and secure its interests. Russia has not been directly involved in the recent Berlin talks.

Humanitarian Impact and Broader Context

The United Nations and other international bodies have consistently highlighted the severe humanitarian impact of the conflict. Civilian casualties in Ukraine have surged, with reports indicating a 26% increase in killed and injured civilians from January to November 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, totaling 2,311 killed and 11,084 injured. The escalation is largely attributed to Russia's increased use of long-range missiles and drones.

Beyond direct casualties, the strikes have caused extensive damage to energy infrastructure, leading to power outages across multiple regions and affecting millions of Ukrainians. This targeting of energy facilities is seen by Kyiv and its allies as an attempt to cripple the Ukrainian power grid and deprive civilians of essential services during winter. The United Kingdom, in a statement to the OSCE, noted that Russia's intensified attacks despite peace negotiations are 'not the conduct of a state seeking peace'.