Ukraine officially celebrates Christmas on December 25 for the first time today – after continuing to fend off Russian drone attacks overnight.
Traditionally, Ukrainians celebrate January 7th in accordance with the Russian Orthodox Church.
But in July, President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a law Postponement of the Christmas holidays until December 25th.
On Sunday, Mr. Zelensky addressed the nation in a video clip filmed in front of St. Sophia Cathedral in central Kiev.
He said, “Step by step, day by day, the darkness is losing.”
“Today this is our common goal, our common dream. And that is exactly what our common prayer is about today. For our freedom. For our victory. For our.” Ukraine,” he added.
At the front, soldiers were given Christmas dinner and religious leaders visited some areas to hold services.
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Religious and political leaders, including the Popecalled for an end to the conflict in Ukraine in their Christmas messages.
Overnight, the Ukrainian military said it had shot down 28 of 31 Russian drones, with both missiles fired over the country.
According to the Ukrainians, they were fired over Kherson, Mykolaiv, Donetsk, Kirovohrad and Khmelnytskyi.
On Sunday, five people were killed in a Russian fire in Kherson and another in the eastern city of Horlivka.
Image: President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during his Christmas message
Image: Christmas service in Ukraine on Christmas Eve
Russia claims it has the “upper hand” in weapons
Meanwhile in Russia, Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov claimed that the Kremlin had the upper hand in weapons production.
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5:38 What you may have missed about the conflict this year
“I don't want to brag, but I can say that we began to increase and increase the pace of production earlier than Western countries,” he told the RIA news agency.
“Another question is how long this race will last,” he added, saying that an arms plan for the period 2025-2034 should be adopted this year.
President Vladimir Putin and his Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu have already said that production of artillery, drones, tanks and armored vehicles is increasing.