Ukraine celebrates Christmas in December for the first time to mark the separation from the Russian Orthodox Church, while trying to stop the enemy offensive in the east and south of the country.
“Today all Ukrainians are together. We all celebrate Christmas together. On the same date, as a big family, as a nation, as a united country,” said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a message to the nation on the occasion of Christmas.
It is the first time that Ukrainians will attend Midnight Mass on December 24 after the approval this year of a law to move Christmas celebrations from January to December in an attempt to sever all ties with Russia, where the birth of Christ It is celebrated two weeks later.
“In the end the darkness loses. The evil loses. Today, that is our common goal, a common dream. And to that (we dedicate) our common prayer today,” Zelensky added.
The military administrations of a total of eleven Ukrainian regions previously reported Russian attacks with drones, aviation, missiles and artillery in the last 24 hours, as a result of which at least three civilians were killed in Kherson (south).
At night, Russian artillery struck the provincial capital of that name from the eastern bank of the Dnieper River.
Also in other regions such as Chernigov (north), Dnipro (center) or Mikoláiv and Zaporizhzhia (south) impacts from missiles of different types, artillery fire and kamikaze drones were recorded.
On the Donbass front, in Donetsk Russian artillery injured six civilians, while in Lugansk Russian forces used aviation and launched drones, according to the military administration of that region.
Meanwhile, the Russian Ministry of Defense stated this Sunday in its daily report that Russian forces shot down three Su-27 fighters and one Su-24 bomber of the Ukrainian Air Force. “The anti-aircraft defense systems shot down four Ukrainian aircraft: three Su-27 and one Su-24,” the military statement said.
The note also states that the planes were destroyed in the regions of Zaporizhzhia (southern) and Dnipro (center).
The Russian Ministry of Defense added that throughout the previous day its forces neutralized 49 Ukrainian drones and caused more than 700 casualties to the enemy.
According to the Russian military, on the Donetsk front, where the Russian Army has moved into offensive actions, eight attacks by Ukrainian assault groups were repelled.
The Ukrainian military, in turn, estimated at one thousand Russian artillery attacks against their positions during the day this Sunday. They also claimed to have caused about 800 casualties to enemy troops.
Already this Monday, the Russian Defense Minister, Sergei Shoigu, announced the capture of Marinka, an important Ukrainian stronghold near Donetsk. If confirmed, the capture of Márinka, with 10,000 inhabitants before the war, would be Moscow’s greatest military success in more than six months.
The General Staff of the Ukrainian Army reported in its daily report that the Russian offensive continues in several sectors of the front.
At the same time, according to Kyiv, its forces put up firm resistance, “maintaining occupied positions and inflicting significant losses” on the enemy.
In particular, the military note makes reference to the situation on the left bank of the Dnieper River, in Jerson, where Ukrainian forces managed to establish a position.
“The enemy does not give up plans to expel our units from the left bank of the Dnieper and during one day carried out 23 unsuccessful assaults,” the war report states.
Meanwhile, the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) this Sunday questioned the New York Times article suggesting that Russia would be seeking a ceasefire in Ukraine.
According to the analytical center, if this information is true, it could be attempts to “redirect the Western focus towards hypothetical negotiations instead of guaranteeing that Ukraine has enough material” to continue military actions.
