Volodymyr Zelensky's message to the nation: "Ukrainians will create their own Christmas miracle"
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has urged his people to persevere in the face of Russian attacks, saying that "freedom has a high price, but slavery has an even higher price", the BBC reports. In a speech to the nation, the leader from Kyiv declared that Ukrainians will create their own Christmas miracle.
“We endured at the beginning of the war. We endured attacks, threats, nuclear blackmail, terror, missile strikes. Let us endure this winter, we know what we are fighting for. We will celebrate our holidays! Like always. We will smile and be happy. Like always. The difference is one. We will not wait for a miracle. After all, we create it ourselves," Zelensky said. According to the BBC correspondent, for many Ukrainians, Christmas will be in the dark and cold. However, they confessed that the hardships made them stronger. On Saturday, fierce fighting continued in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, where Russian troops attacked the strategic town of Bakhmut. Russian missile and drone attacks have left millions of Ukrainians without electricity, heating and running water. Russian airstrikes killed 10 people in the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson on Saturday morning, officials said. Regional authorities said another 68 people were injured and asked locals to urgently donate blood. Calling Russia a "terrorist country", Zelenski accused Russian troops of "killing for the sake of intimidation and pleasure". In a social media post, he showed images of streets strewn with bodies and burning cars, saying "the world needs to see and understand what absolute evil we are fighting against". Kherson, the only regional capital captured by Russia since it launched its full-scale invasion on February 24, was liberated by Ukraine last month. Since then it has been frequently targeted by Russian forces positioned on the left (eastern) bank of the Dnipro River. Moscow has repeatedly denied that it targeted civilians in its attacks. However, President Vladimir Putin recently acknowledged that Russian troops had struck Ukraine's critical energy facilities.
