KYIV — Embattled Ukraine, which has defended itself for almost two years in opposition to the Russian invasion, is about to defy Moscow once more because it celebrates Christmas for the primary time on December 25 as a substitute of the January date extra intently linked to Russia, whilst preventing confirmed no indicators of letup with the oncoming of the vacation season.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in July signed a regulation shifting the official Christmas Day vacation to December 25 from January 7, the day noticed by the Russian Orthodox Church.
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The regulation acknowledged that its purpose was to ”abandon the Russian heritage,” together with that of ”imposing the celebration of Christmas” on January 7.
It cited Ukrainians’ ”relentless, profitable wrestle for his or her identification [and] the need of all Ukrainians to dwell their lives with their very own traditions, holidays.”
Historically, Ukrainian Christians, most of whom are Orthodox, have celebrated Christmas on January 7, the day most different Orthodox-dominated international locations — together with Russia and a number of other different Slavic international locations — mark the vacation.
The swap brings Ukraine’s Orthodox worshippers according to the nation’s Catholics, who earlier this yr authorised an analogous change in calendars.
In his nightly video handle posted as Ukraine ready to rejoice the vacation, Zelenskiy mentioned: “In the present day, all Ukrainians are collectively.”
“All of us rejoice Christmas collectively. On one date, as one large household, as one nation, as one, one nation…. In the present day, it can unite tens of millions of voices — greater than ever earlier than.”
Within the southeastern cities of Dnipro and Zaporizhzhya, dozens of kinfolk of Ukrainian troopers being held by Russian forces as prisoners of struggle gathered for Christmas Eve rallies to brighten timber with the names of their family members.
”My son, the defender of Mariupol, has been in captivity for a second yr, the second Christmas. Our Christmas tree is an enchantment to society. It’s a reminder that we’re ready for our kids,” Iryna, the mom of a POW, unhappy in Dnipro.
In Zaporizhzhya, organizer Olha Plechun mentioned most people perceives captivity as simply detention, whereas situations of Ukrainian navy members in Russian custody signify a ”gradual loss of life.”
”Our guys are being tortured. We’d like exchanges. Our enemy isn’t noble: They don’t observe any conventions,” she mentioned.
Ukrainian authorities mentioned that as of November 17, at the least 3,574 navy personnel and 763 civilians are in Russian captivity.
On the battlefield, at the least 4 folks had been killed and 9 others wounded in Russian shelling within the southern Ukrainian metropolis of Kherson over the previous 24 hours, regional authorities mentioned on December 24.
Russian troops fired 71 shells at Kherson, hitting town middle, residential areas, medical and academic establishments, and ”crucial infrastructure services,” Oleksandr Prokudin, head of the regional navy administration wrote on Telegram.
Prokudin mentioned a pair of their 80s and a toddler had been among the many victims.
Ukrainian forces recaptured Kherson following a number of months of Russian occupation in November final yr, however Russian forces proceed to shell the realm.
Individually, Kyiv mentioned Ukraine’s air protection shot down 14 out of 15 Russian drones launched in a single day.
”Ukraine’s air power and protection forces destroyed 14 Shaheds in Mykolayiv, Kirovohrad, Zaporizhzhya, Dnipro, and Khmelnytskiy areas,” the Ukrainian Air Power mentioned on the Telegram messaging app.
There have been no experiences of injury or casualties because the outcomes of the drone assaults.
In the meantime, Ukraine is awaiting a long-desired increase to its navy arsenal within the coming days because it battles to counter Russian air supremacy over its skies.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte instructed Zelenskiy in a telephone name on December 22 Ukraine will doubtless obtain it first cargo of superior F-16 struggle jets earlier than the tip of the yr.
”In the present day, I knowledgeable President Zelenskiy of our authorities’s choice to arrange an preliminary 18 F-16 fighter plane for supply to Ukraine,” Rutte mentioned late on December 22 in a publish on social media platform X.
In a video message late on December 23, Zelenskiy thanked Germany, Finland, and the Netherlands for offering navy support to assist Kyiv struggle off the Russian invasion.
Germany has equipped Gepard anti-aircraft tank, 155-caliber artillery shells, and different vital weapons, Zelenskiy mentioned.
The Netherlands and Finland despatched additional support packages every totaling $110 million, the Ukrainian president mentioned, with out offering extra particulars.
With reporting by AFP, dpa, and Reuters