Ukraine faced one of its most intense winter assault yet as Russia unleashed over 650 drones and dozens of missiles in a single night, plunging cities into darkness amid freezing temperatures. Energy grids, civilian infrastructure, and daily life across at least 13 regions were hit, even as peace talks in Miami showed no breakthrough. President Zelensky called the strikes a deliberate message ahead of Christmas, accusing Moscow of rejecting peace. The escalation rattled NATO’s eastern flank, forcing Poland to scramble fighter jets as fears of wider fallout grew across Europe.