**Zelensky: “Russia’s Inhumane and Deliberate Attack”**
On December 25, citizens of Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, sought refuge in subway stations to avoid Russian air raids. Since the war with Russia, Ukraine shifted its Christmas celebration from January 7, which follows Orthodox tradition, to December 25. Ukraine criticized Russia’s attack during Christmas as inhumane and a deliberate choice.
In 2023, both Russia and Ukraine engaged in disputes over conducting warfare during Christmas. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of making a “deliberate choice” to launch attacks on the country’s energy infrastructure on Christmas night, labeling the assault as inhumane. Ukraine’s air force detected 184 Russian missile and drone attacks but claimed most were either intercepted or missed their targets.
President Zelensky denounced Russia’s Christmas assault, stating, “Russian evil cannot destroy Ukraine or distort Christmas.” U.S. President Joe Biden condemned the attacks as an attempt to disrupt Ukrainians’ access to heating and electricity, endangering the power grid’s safety.
The Russian Ministry of Defense boasted that its military conducted a “massive attack” on Ukraine’s “vital” energy facilities, claiming success in hitting all targets. This marks Russia’s 13th major assault on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure this year.
Russia did not respond to Ukraine’s criticism of the Christmas attack. In Russia, Christmas is celebrated on January 7 per the Russian Orthodox Church’s Julian calendar tradition, a practice historically followed by Ukrainians as well.
Following the 2022 war with Russia, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church distanced itself from the Russian Orthodox Church, allowing Christmas mass on December 25 based on individual diocese decisions. In July 2023, Ukraine passed a law officially moving Christmas to December 25. While officially recognized, most Ukrainians continue to observe January 7 in line with past traditions.
Both Ukraine and Western nations have criticized Russia for refusing a Christmas ceasefire since the war began, but Russia has dismissed these claims, instead proposing a ceasefire on their traditional Christmas, January 7, which Ukraine rejected.
In reality, Russian President Vladimir Putin responded to an appeal from Patriarch Kirill of the Russian Orthodox Church on January 6 of the previous year by instructing a 36-hour truce, urging Ukraine to allow Orthodox Christians living in conflict zones to celebrate Christmas Eve and Christmas. However, President Zelensky dismissed the truce offer as a ploy to stall Ukrainian advances in regions like Donbas. Dmitry Kuleba, then-Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, noted that Russia carried out attacks on December 24 and New Year’s Eve, arguing that combat couldn’t pause for religious holidays.
Russia is expected to propose another Christmas truce on January 6, but Ukraine is unlikely to accept.