Zelensky denounces Russian attacks “for pleasure”

Another bitter 24. More than 300 days after the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and without a diplomatic solution on the table, Ukrainians are experiencing a dark and painful Christmas.

On Christmas Eve alone, a new Russian attack on the newly liberated Ukrainian city of Kherson killed seven people and wounded 58 others, according to authorities.

The Ukrainian president posted on Telegram photos showing the city center with burning vehicles, smashed windows and what appeared to be dead bodies on the sidewalks.

Social networks would mark the images as “sensitive content,” the president said. “But this is not sensitive content: it is the real life of Ukraine and Ukrainians,” Zelensky wrote.

“This is not about military installations. It is terror, it is killing for intimidation and pleasure,” added the Ukrainian president who took over a war that has devastated the country for 10 months.

Kherson is the only regional capital to have been captured by Russia since its invasion on February 24 and recaptured last month. Since then, kyiv claims that Russian forces have heavily shelled the city from across the vast Dnieper River.

In recent months, Russia has been targeting energy infrastructure, with the aim of cutting off electricity and heating to Ukrainians as the freezing winter progresses.

And while the Ukrainian government is trying to respond quickly to the energy emergency, it has been virtually impossible to restore power to every single person in the country, including the more than 3 million residents of the capital, kyiv.

A Christmas at war

A year ago, Sofia Square in kyiv was quite a spectacle with a huge and striking Christmas tree illuminated by thousands of lights that stretched across the square.

But this year there is a more modest tree, whose blue and yellow lights barely break the gloom of the square, totally dark except for the vehicle headlights.

There are days when the streets of the center of kyiv have light, but the authorities face power cuts with some restrictions, which leaves, at least for now, the memory of that resplendent city during Christmas.

But the city seeks to raise morale. For this, the mayor of kyiv, Vitali Klitschko, announced the installation of the Christmas tree, saying that it was going to be called “Tree of Invincibility”.

“We decided that we would not let Russia rob our children of celebrating Christmas and New Year,” he added. The official stressed that it was “because we Ukrainians cannot be broken.”

The “Tree of Invincibility” was unveiled on December 19, the same day Russia launched a drone attack on kyiv, but only damaged a power plant without causing a massive blackout.

With no music or Christmas carols, now the only noise in the square is that of a generator that powers the lights of the 12-meter tree. Above there is no star of Bethlehem, but a trident, a symbol of Ukraine.

“We are grateful that we can see at least something in these times,” said Oleh Skakun, 56, during the unveiling of the tree on Monday.

Skakun recalled that every December 19 he celebrated his wife’s birthday and they used to go to see the Christmas tree in the city of Kherson. This year was not the same because his house, on the left bank of the Dnieper River, is occupied by Russian forces, and they had to flee to kyiv in August.

Despite this, Skakun seeks to maintain the tradition of visiting a Christmas tree. “Twenty Russians now live in my house, they tortured people, they tortured my son,” said Larysa Skakun, 57. “But we came here to cheer ourselves up a bit, to see the people, the celebration,” she added through tears.

Ukraine calls for “liquidation” of Iranian arms factories

A senior Ukrainian presidential aide has called for the “liquidation” of Iranian drone or missile factories and a halt to their suppliers, as kyiv accuses Tehran of planning to supply Russia with more weapons.

Mykhailo Podolyak, a Ukrainian presidential adviser, claimed on Twitter that Iran “blatantly humiliates the institution of international sanctions”, before calling in response for the destruction of Iranian arms factories.

kyiv accuses Tehran of supplying 1,700 Shahed-136 loitering munitions to Moscow, which they say have been used to hit targets in Ukraine since September. Iran denies the accusations.

According to the Ukrainian spy chief, Russia launched some 540 of these drones against military and energy targets in Ukraine. But on the Ukrainian war front, Patriot missiles could be a game changer.

Ukrainian military commanders say these US-made missiles will provide a much-needed boost to protect cities from Russian missile and drone attacks.

The United States recently approved a $45 billion aid package for Ukraine and its NATO allies. The military and economic support is part of a huge Washington spending bill.

In Russia, on the other hand, they are preparing to receive the most uncertain New Year in their recent history. To distract the population, worried about the military campaign in Ukraine, the authorities decided to keep the New Year celebrations going, albeit with less pomp than usual.

With AP and Reuters