Before Christmas, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appealed to the combative spirit of his compatriots not to give up in defending the country. What is needed is “maximum attention for defense, maximum effort for the state, maximum energy so that Ukraine can achieve its goals,” Zelenskyy said on Thursday in his broadcast evening video message in Kiev. The time to rest will come later.
This year, Ukraine will officially celebrate Christmas for the first time according to the Western model on December 25th and no longer just according to Orthodox customs on January 7th. “Now, before Christmas, everyone in our state must remember that this is a time to focus, a time to work,” Zelensky said. The fate of the country will be decided in the regions of Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhia and Kherson attacked by Russia. Some of the areas are occupied by Russian troops. The President once again thanked the country's defenders for their fight against Russian aggression.
At the same time, Zelensky emphasized that Ukraine continued its tradition of paying particular homage to its heroes in the fight against the Russian war of aggression. 20 families of Ukrainian heroes received an apartment from the Ukrainian state on Thursday. And every soldier, sailor and officer who receives the title of hero will receive the same recognition from the state, Zelensky said. He once again granted some recognition posthumously. The families of the fallen received documents proving the allocation of an apartment, as can be seen in the photos from the Presidency of the Republic.
Since the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine began on February 24, 2022, 362 Ukrainians have been honored as heroes. In addition to soldiers, they also include members of the country's National Guard, police, secret services and other defense and security structures, Zelensky said. Ukraine has been defending itself against Russian invasion with Western military aid for almost two years.