Merry Christmas everyone!

It's now the 25th of December for me in New Zealand, which is quite insane. To those who celebrate it, I hope you have a great time with your family on this holiday occasion.

I'm looking forward to 2026 which I hope will be another great year of reporting for me. Thank you all for following and supporting, it means the world :)

Unlike last year, no large-scale missile attack on Ukraine is expected this Christmas.

However, preparations for the next series of strikes are ongoing:

The 4 MiG-31K fighters which took part in the most recent attack redeployed from Lipetsk-2 Airbase, Lipetsk Oblast to Savasleika Airbase, Nizhny Novgorod Oblast. They will be equipped with Kinzhal hypersonic aeroballistic missiles there.

Part of southwestern Ryazan Oblast’s airspace in the area of the MiG-31K launch lines is currently closed, which means there is a threat of Kinzhal launches for the near future.

The Tu-95MS and Tu-160 strategic bombers which took part in the most recent attack are in the process of being equipped with Kh-101 cruise missiles at Engels-2 Airbase and then redeploying to the far east.

There is still an unprecedented accumulation of Geran-2 drones at launch sites surrounding Ukraine, and a large number of Iskander-M ballistic missiles and Iskander-K cruise missiles that are ready be used.

3 Tu-22m3 strategic bombers carried out a scheduled training flight over the eastern Black Sea from Shaykovka Airbase, Kaluga Oblast.

3 Tu-22m3 strategic bombers carried out a scheduled training flight from Olenya Airbase, Murmansk Oblast with the help of an Il-78M tanker for refueling.

This evening, a single Kh-59 cruise missile likely launched from a Su-34 struck the Cherkasy combined heat and power plant. A large fire subsequently broke out.

Possible launches of storm shadow cruise missiles from Kryvyi Rih, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, in the direction of Russian-controlled Kherson Oblast.

4 missiles are detected flying from Nova Kakhovka on a southeastern course.

One of the missiles over Kherson Oblast

S-300 activity from Melitopol, Zaporizhzhia Oblast.

The missiles are flying in the direction of the Sea of Azov.

The Kerch Bridge has been temporarily closed.

Sirens in:

Rostov Oblast
Crimea
Zaporizhzhia Oblast
Kherson Oblast
Krasnodar Krai
Sevastopol

As many as 2 interceptions may have taken place.

2-4 Storm Shadows are now over the Sea of Azov, ~100 km from the Kerch Bridge.

S-400 launches from Taganrog, Rostov Oblast.

~2 more storm shadows are flying past Debaltseve, Luhansk Oblast to Rostov Oblast.

2 missiles in Luhansk Oblast changed course to the south/southeast, flying past Rovenky to Rostov-on-Don

2-4 missiles are flying to Temyruk, Krasnodar Krai. The port there was under attack from UAVs earlier. Russian air defence is working from Krasnodar Krai.

2 missiles changed course to the east, flying past Novocherkassk, Rostov Oblast.

The fire at the Novoshakhtinsk Oil Refinery is growing