Ukraine’s President delivers defiant message as many Ukrainians remain without power and calls attacks on Kherson that left 10 dead acts of ‘terror’
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy used a Christmas Eve video address to say that Ukrainians would create their own miracle this Christmas, by remaining unbowed, despite Russian attacks that have left millions without power.
Most Ukrainians are Orthodox Christians and mark Christmas in early January.
Even in complete darkness, we will find each other to hug each other tightly. And if there is no heat, we will embrace each other for a long time to warm one another.
We will smile and be happy, as always. There is one difference – we will not wait for a miracle, since we are creating it ourselves.”
The world must see and understand what absolute evil we are fighting against.”
At least ten people were killed and an estimated 58 wounded on Saturday in Russian shelling on the recently recaptured Ukrainian city of Kherson. The region was targeted by 74 Russian strikes. 66 cars caught fire in a residential area of the city due to the shelling, the emergency services said.
Volodymyr Zelenskiy called the attacks on Kherson “terror … killing for the sake of intimidation and pleasure”. He said: “it is the real life of Ukraine … The world must see and understand what absolute evil we are fighting against.”
Ukraine’s defence minister, Oleksii Reznikov, said the attack in Kherson is more evidence that Ukraine needs to be supplied with more defence systems and called for more weapons and ammunition.
Reuters reporters in the Russian-occupied city of Mariupol have confirmed that authorities are demolishing and clearing what is left of the smashed rear portion of the cities theatre, where hundreds of Ukrainians were killed in Russian airstrikes after a protracted siege earlier this year.
Ukraine has announced it has killed another 480 Russian troops, according to its latest casualty figures.
The Netherlands has pledged €2.5bn ($2.7bn) to help Ukraine in 2023, with most of the money earmarked for military aid.
The rock band Pink Floyd has raised $600,000 for Ukraine with the song Hey Hey Rise Up.
