“Russians are murderers,” wrote the head of the presidential administration, Andriy Yermak, on the Telegram platform alongside a photo of a destroyed house. Nothing is sacred to the Russians, they show no humanity. President Volodymyr Zelensky's hometown has repeatedly been the target of destructive missile and drone attacks in the past.
The new Russian attack shook Christmas celebrations in the country. In Ukraine, many people celebrated Christmas in a Western style, following the example of the leadership seeking to join the EU and NATO. The custom was introduced as part of the defensive fight against the Russian war of aggression. Nevertheless, many people in Ukraine continue to give each other gifts under the Christmas tree on New Year's Eve according to a long tradition and celebrate Orthodox Christmas on the night of January 7th, just like in Russia.
In his Christmas speech, President Zelensky praised the fact that Ukrainians were now celebrating like people in the West. “Christmas unites all Ukrainians,” he said in his evening video speech. “Today we stand side by side,” he said. “And as long as we do that, evil has no chance,” Zelensky continued. “We want peace,” he emphasized. The Christmas star should shine over the country – and drones of Iranian design and missiles should not hit.
In his speech, the Ukrainian president also mentioned the strategically important city of Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region, which Russian troops could soon take. According to his speech, Zelensky hopes that this will not happen. At the same time, he expressed the hope that the soldiers fighting for Ukraine would return home alive.
Ukraine is experiencing its third winter of war. The country has been defending itself against the Russian war of aggression with Western help since February 2022.
