By EFE
Dec 24, 2023, 7:40 PM EST
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.
“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 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. Evil loses. Today, that is our common goal, a common dream. And to that (we dedicate) our common prayer today,” Zelensky added.
Час напередодні Різдва – час найдовших ночей у році. However, even if the items were changed, they should be changed. Світло стає сильнішим. And on the other hand, on the other hand, the program was on.
І зрештою темрява програє. It is not programmed.
Сьогодні це наша спільна мета, спільна мрія. І саме…
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) December 24, 2023
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New drone attacks
Military administrations in a total of 11 Ukrainian regions previously reported Russian drone, aviation, missile and artillery attacks in the past 24 hours, resulting in the deaths of at least three civilians in Kherson.
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, Dnipro or Mikolaiv and Zaporizhia, impacts from missiles of different types, artillery fire and kamikaze drones were recorded.
On the Donbas 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.
Russia shoots down planes
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