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Volodymyr Zelenskiy delivers defiant Christmas Eve message
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.
Speaking 10 months to the day since Russia invaded, Zelenskiy said that while freedom came at a high price, slavery would cost even more.
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.”
Referring to Russian strikes on the recently liberated city of Kherson that killed at least 10 on Saturday, Zelenskiy described Russia as a “terrorist country”.
The world must see and understand what absolute evil we are fighting against.”
Key events
Ukraine issues air raid alert in Kyiv and other regions
Air raid sirens are sounding in Kyiv and across other Ukrainian regions.
The Kyiv city administration urged people to go to shelters after the air alert was announced.
The mayor of Mykolaiv in the country’s south posted to his official Telegram channel, warning of the sirens.
We’ll bring you more information when it’s available.
Pope Francis delivered his Christmas Eve mass on Saturday, warning that the level of greed and hunger for power was such that some wanted to “consume even their neighbours”, in an apparent reference to the war in Ukraine.
Men and women in our world, in their hunger for wealth and power, consume even their neighbours, their brothers and sisters.
How many wars have we seen! And in how many places, even today, are human dignity and freedom treated with contempt.”
Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February, Francis has spoken out against the war at nearly every public event, denouncing what he has called atrocities and unprovoked aggression.
He did not specifically mention Ukraine on Saturday night.
Earlier this month, the pope urged people to spend less on Christmas celebrations and gifts and send the difference to Ukrainians to help them get through the winter.
Volodymyr Zelenskiy delivers defiant Christmas Eve message
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.
Speaking 10 months to the day since Russia invaded, Zelenskiy said that while freedom came at a high price, slavery would cost even more.
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.”
Referring to Russian strikes on the recently liberated city of Kherson that killed at least 10 on Saturday, Zelenskiy described Russia as a “terrorist country”.
The world must see and understand what absolute evil we are fighting against.”
Welcome and summary
Hello and welcome to today’s coverage of the war in Ukraine. My name is Jonathan Yerushalmy and I’ll be with you for the next while.
It’s 9am in Kyiv where some will be celebrating Christmas Day, however most Ukrainians are Orthodox Christians and will therefore mark the occasion in early January.
Nonetheless, Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, used an address on Christmas Eve to deliver a message to all Ukrainians who are marking the holiday in the face of ongoing attacks from Russia.
Speaking 10 months to the day since Russia invaded, Zelenskiy said that while freedom came at a high price, slavery would cost even more.
More on that shortly. In the meantime, here are the other key recent developments:
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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.
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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.”
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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.
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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.
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Ukraine has announced it has killed another 480 Russian troops, according to its latest casualty figures.
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The Netherlands has pledged €2.5bn ($2.7bn) to help Ukraine in 2023, with most of the money earmarked for military aid.
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The rock band Pink Floyd has raised $600,000 for Ukraine with the song Hey Hey Rise Up.
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