Russian forces continued to wage war against Ukraine over the holiday weekend, with more than 40 missiles being fired at Ukrainian cities on Christmas Day, according to the Ukrainian military.
According to Russian news agencies, citing the country’s Defense Ministry, three Russian servicemen were killed on Monday when debris fell from a Ukrainian drone that was shot down on its way to attack a base in Russia’s Saratov region.
Russian President Vladimir Putin reiterated on Sunday that he was open to negotiations and accused Ukraine and its Western allies of not engaging in talks. The United States has previously dismissed this Russian stance as a stance given the ongoing attack on Ukraine.
“We are ready to negotiate with everyone involved on acceptable solutions, but that depends on them, it is not us who refuse to negotiate, it is them,” Putin said in an interview on Rossiya 1 state television.
PUTIN CLAIMS THAT RUSSIA IS READY TO NEGOTIATE; UKRAINE ACCUSES KREMLIN OF TRYING TO AVOID RESPONSIBILITY
Two people walk past an industrial building that took a missile attack, as Russia’s attack on Ukraine continues, during heavy Christmas Day shelling on the front line in Bakhmut, Ukraine, on December 25, 2022.
(Reuters photos)
However, an aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy responded on Twitter saying Putin needed to acknowledge that Russia has not been open to talks.
“Russia single-handedly attacked Ukraine and is killing citizens,” said the adviser, Mykhailo Podolyak. “Russia does not want negotiations, but tries to avoid responsibility.”
Moscow launched its invasion of its eastern European neighbor on February 24 and attacks on Ukraine’s power plants have left millions without electricity. Zelenskyy said that Russia will try to make the last days of 2022 dark and difficult.
“Russia has lost everything it could this year… I know the darkness will not stop us from leading the occupiers to new defeats. But we have to be prepared for any scenario,” he said in a Christmas Day speech.
Smoke rises from apartment buildings damaged by missile strikes, as Russia’s attack on Ukraine continues, during a heavy Christmas Day shelling raid on the front line in Bakhmut, Ukraine.
(Reuters photos)
RUSSIA LAUNCHES GROUP OF 13 IRAN-MADE DRONES IN kyiv ON SUSPECTED ENERGY ATTACK
Ukraine and Russia traditionally celebrate Christmas on January 7, but some Orthodox Ukrainians decided to celebrate it on December 25 this year. Zelenskyy, Ukraine’s prime minister and other Ukrainian officials issued Christmas wishes on Sunday.
Ukraine’s military said Monday morning that Russian forces had shelled dozens of cities in the previous 24 hours in the Luhansk, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Kherson and Zaporizhzia regions.
“In the direction of Kherson, the enemy continues to shell populated areas along the right bank of the Dnipro river with artillery,” the army said.
A Ukrainian BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launcher fires a rocket, as Russia’s attack on Ukraine continues, during heavy Christmas Day shelling on the front line in Bakhmut, Ukraine, on December 25, 2022.
(Reuters photos)
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The Ukrainian military also said its forces launched strikes against almost 20 Russian targets.
The Russian Defense Ministry said on Sunday that its forces had killed about 60 Ukrainian servicemen the previous day along the Kupiansk-Lyman contact line, and destroyed numerous pieces of Ukrainian military equipment.
The Kremlin has vowed to fight until all its territorial objectives are achieved, but Ukraine says it will keep fighting until all Russian soldiers are driven out of the country.
Reuters contributed to this report.
