Naijahood
Ukraine is marking a historic shift in its traditions by officially celebrating Christmas on December 25 for the first time. This move diverges from the Russian Orthodox Church’s observance of Jesus’ birth on January 7, and it signifies a notable departure as Ukraine now celebrates independently from Russia.
In a significant decision, the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, signed legislation in July to move the public Christmas Day holiday to December 25. Amidst the backdrop of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, President Zelensky offered reassurance to his fellow Ukrainians, stating that “step by step, day by day, the darkness is losing.”
Despite the festive occasion, the somber reality persists, with Russian attacks claiming the lives of five civilians in southern Ukraine’s Kherson region on Sunday, as reported by Ukrainian officials. Tragically, three individuals lost their lives due to shelling of an apartment building and a private home in Kherson city. In a separate incident, a woman fell victim to a drone attack in a small town south of Kherson, while another woman met her untimely end in a town further north subjected to intense gunfire.
These unfortunate deaths unfolded amid relentless Russian shelling of Kherson and its surrounding region over the preceding 24 hours, underscoring the ongoing challenges faced by Ukraine in the midst of the conflict.
Ukrainian refugees falling victim to ‘extremely sophisticated’ UK visa scam, charities warn
Ukrainian refugees arriving at UK airports are falling victim to elaborate scams involving counterfeit visas and deceptive promises of sponsorship from Homes for Ukraine families, caution charities. According to reports from charitable organizations to The Independent, there is a rising trend of Ukrainians being ensnared by sophisticated schemes that exploit their eagerness to escape, resulting in them paying substantial amounts for purported travel permissions and fake British visas.
The fraudulent visas, meticulously crafted to evade visual detection, enable Ukrainians to board flights without suspicion from airline staff. However, upon arrival, Border Force officials reveal that the presented documents lack validity. Settled, a charitable organization, has disclosed that it is currently addressing a weekly influx of one to five cases entangled in such deceptive practices.
Ukrainian refugees targeted in ‘extremely sophisticated’ UK visa scam, charities warn
Exclusive: Ukrainians arriving at UK airports shocked to find counterfeit travel documents and nonexistent host families.
Ukraine reports five civilians killed in attacks on Kherson
Russian attacks on southern Ukraine’s Kherson region killed five civilians on Sunday, Ukrainian officials said, while Russian-installed officials in the eastern town of Horlivka said one person was killed in result of Kyiv’s shelling.
Russian forces abandoned the city of Kherson, the administrative centre of the Kherson region on the Dnipro River in southern Ukraine, and the western bank of the River over a year ago but have since subjected many areas there to constant shelling from their positions on the eastern bank.
The deaths in Kherson occurred in an incessant Russian shelling of the city and the region over the preceding 24 hours, Ukrainian officials said.
Regional police said three people died in shelling of an apartment building and a private home in Kherson city. A woman died in a drone attack in a small town south of Kherson and a second woman was killed when a town further north came under heavy fire.
Oleksandr Tolokonnikov, head of the press office of Kherson’s regional military administration, told the Ukrainian public broadcaster that gas and water supplies were partially cut off due to the attacks, which also hit a medical facility. “The windows were broken, the building was damaged,” Tolokonnikov said.
Some 600 km (400 miles) northeast of Kherson in the town of Horlivka, in areas of Ukraine’s Donetsk region under Russian control, Ukraine’s shelling destroyed a shopping centre and several other buildings, a Russian-installed official said.
The attacks killed one woman and wounded six civilians, the Russian-installed mayor of Horlivka, Ivan Prikhodko, said on the Telegram messaging app.
Reuters could not independently verify the Russian and Ukrainian reports.
Ukraine’s air defence destroys 28 out of 31 Russia-launched drones, Kyiv says
Russia launched 31 drones and 2 missiles at Ukraine overnight, mostly targeting the south of the country, with air defences destroying 28 drones and both missiles, the Ukrainian military said on Monday.
“As a result of air combat, the Ukrainian Air Force and defence forces destroyed 28 Shahed attack drones in Odesa, Kherson, Mykolaiv, Donetsk, Kirovohrad and Khmelnytskyi regions,” Ukraine’s Air Forces said on the Telegram messaging app.
The drones were launched from Russian-occupied Crimea, it said.
No damage or casualties have been reported by military and civilian authorities.
The military also repeated previously issued information that two Russian military aircraft were downed near the Russian-occupied city of Mariupol on the Sea of Azov in southern Ukraine and near occupied Donetsk city in eastern Ukraine.
On Sunday, Russian and Ukrainian military officials both reported downing enemy aircraft in different areas of the 1,000-km-long (621-mile) front of their 22-month-old war.
Reuters could not independently verify the Ukrainian air force’s report. There was no immediate comment from Russia.
Ukraine ends year disappointed by stalemate with Russia, and anxious about aid from allies
The year started with high hopes for Ukrainian troops planning a counteroffensive against Russia. It ended with disappointment on the battlefield, an increasingly somber mood among troops and anxiety about the future of Western aid for Ukraine‘s war effort.
In between, there was a short-lived rebellion in Russia, a dam collapse in Ukraine, and the spilling of much blood on both sides of the conflict.
Twenty-two months since it invaded, Russia has about one-fifth of Ukraine in its grip, and the roughly 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line has barely budged this year.
Ukraine ends year disappointed by stalemate with Russia, and anxious about aid from allies
The year started with high hopes for Ukrainian troops planning a counteroffensive against Russia
Russia says it downs four Ukrainian military aircraft
Russia‘s defence ministry said on Sunday its air defence systems had shot down four Ukrainian military aircraft over the past 24 hours, just two days after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Kyiv had downed three Russian fighter-bomber jets.
In its daily dispatch, the defence ministry said its air defence shot down three Su-27 fighter aircraft and one Su-24 tactical bomber in the Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk regions of southeastern Ukraine.
The dispatch provided no further details.
On Friday, Zelenskiy said the country’s forces shot down three Russian Su-34 fighter-bomber aircraft on the southern front, hailing it as a success in the 22-month-old conflict.
The commander of Ukraine‘s air force also said the planes had been downed.
Reuters was not immediately able to corroborate the battlefield reports from either side.
Anti-war former journalist enters race against Putin in Russia presidential election
An anti-war journalist has applied to run against Vladimir Putin in the Russian presidential election in March next year.
Former TV journalist, Yekaterina Duntsova, 40, has submitted her documents to the Central Election Commission in Moscow to begin the formal process of entering the running.
The vote is expected to be a heavily staged-managed exercise that is all but certain to hand a landslide victory to Russia’s autocratic leader.
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