24 December 2023

This is what makes Ukraine stronger: Christmas traditions have a place even at the forefront, at the height of the war with the Russian aggressor

President Vladimir Zelensky congratulated Ukrainians Merry Christmas Christ. The head of state recorded his festive address in the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra.

"The light begins to win": Zelensky congratulated the Ukrainians on Christmas. Video

1 minute
'The light begins to win': Zelensky congratulated the Ukrainians on Christmas. Video

President Vladimir Zelensky congratulated Ukrainians Merry Christmas Christ. The head of state recorded his festive address in the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra.

Video message Zelensky laid out on his social network page. The President emphasized that for the second year in a row for Ukrainians it is not as significant as the dishes on the table as the one sitting nearby.

The head of state emphasized that in a full-scale war in our country, this holiday has changed its significance. Since many today cannot celebrate it with family and loved ones.

"It is much more important not what dishes are on the table, but which people are at the table. And how expensive it is when they are nearby. And how important it is that those who are not around now and defend Ukraine are in touch "– the president emphasized.

Vladimir Zelensky noted that over the past two years our values have changed significantly. Now the main desire of Ukrainians for the holidays is that those who celebrate Holy Evening at the forefront, holding weapons in their hands and continuing to confront the enemy, win and return home.

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Video message Zelensky laid out on his social network page. The President emphasized that for the second year in a row for Ukrainians it is not as significant as the dishes on the table as the one sitting nearby.
The head of state emphasized that in a full-scale war in our country, this holiday has changed its significance. Since many today cannot celebrate it with family and loved ones.
  • "It is much more important not what dishes are on the table, but which people are at the table. And how expensive it is when they are nearby. And how important it is that those who are not around now and defend Ukraine are in touch "– the president emphasized.
  • To return all parents, husbands, brothers, grandfathers, mothers, wives, sisters. Those who meet Christmas Eve with arms in their hands returned as winners, " Zelensky added.

Vladimir Zelensky noted that over the past two years our values have changed significantly. Now the main desire of Ukrainians for the holidays is that those who celebrate Holy Evening at the forefront, holding weapons in their hands and continuing to confront the enemy, win and return home.

The President emphasized that as a result, the day becomes longer and the light gradually displaces darkness. Which means that darkness and evil will eventually lose.

As OBOZ.UA reported this year most Ukrainians will celebrate Christmas on December 25, not January 7, as evidenced by the data of a number of surveys. 
So, the Armed Forces of Ukraine recalled that the transition to this date is the right choice. 
The video shows that the Christmas traditions of Ukrainians have a place even at the forefront, at the height of the war with the Russian aggressor, because this is what makes us stronger.
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23 Dec, 2023 18:38

Ukraine to see ‘total mobilization’ in 2024 – officer

Next year will be worse for the country than 2022 and 2023 combined, an air defense commander has said
Ukraine to see ‘total mobilization’ in 2024 – officer











Ukraine is likely to resort to “total mobilization” next year in a bid to contain Russia, Ukrainian officer Vasily Samovar, who commands the aviation and air defense forces of the 3rd Separate Storm Brigade, told a local Dnipro TV channel on Saturday.
He reportedly admitted that Russia is superior in many aspects, ranging from economic might to personnel reserves.

  • Kiev is still reeling from the failed summer counteroffensive that has failed to bring about any major changes to the front lines while costing tens of thousands of lives and hundreds of pieces of heavy equipment. 
  • In December, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu estimated that Ukraine had lost over 383,000 soldiers since the start of the conflict, adding that roughly half of the casualties were sustained during its much-hyped summer operation.
Ukraine’s Western backers have also seemingly begun to doubt Kiev’s prospects of winning the conflict in the wake of the failed offensive. 
  • In December, US lawmakers said that neither Washington nor Kiev had presented a clear winning strategy following a meeting with Zelensky. Both Washington and Brussels are also struggling to agree on the next aid packages for Ukraine.

In his interview with the Dnipro station, Samovar said that “the Ukrainians should prepare for total mobilization and a cold winter.” 

The next year “will unfortunately be much harder than 2023 and 2022 combined,” he added.


The officer explained that Russia is actively building up its forces and adapting its economy to the needs of its military. If Moscow keeps up like this, it might prevail at some point, Samovar admitted, adding that Ukraine has neither such a “massive mobilization potential nor that much money and resources.”

In December, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky said that the nation’s military had proposed calling up an additional 450,000-500,000 people, and that the government wanted to allocate an additional 500 billion hryvnia ($13.3 billion) to the effort.

Earlier, the nation’s defense minister, Rustem Umerov, told Germany’s Bild tabloid that all Ukrainian men of military age living abroad were to be summoned to recruitment centers. The Defense Ministry then rushed to deny such plans.

On Friday, it was reported that lawmakers in Kiev were actively working on a bill that would allow Ukrainians living abroad to be drafted. 

  • According to Vadim Ivchenko, an MP and member of the parliament’s Security and Defense Committee, the bill will be introduced in January.
  • Zelensky’s administration also supported the measure.
  • A senior presidential aide, Mikhail Podoliak, told Ukraine’s Channel 24 on Friday that Ukrainian men should return home to fight and that a set of punitive measures should be introduced if they don’t up to having their residency permits revoked in their current countries of stay.
Estonia then expressed its readiness to extradite Ukrainians of military age at Kiev’s request. 
Germany, meanwhile, has said it would not send anyone back against their will.
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The fact that the Ukrainian counterattack did not produce results is to blame West – Ben Hodges

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5.9 t.
The fact that the Ukrainian counterattack did not produce results is to blame West – Ben Hodges

In the absence of the results of the counteroffensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine should not Ukraine or its leadership, but Western partners. They are could not provide our military with weapons and equipment, which they counted on.

In particular, we are talking about air force and high-precision weapons. It was their absence that extended the war for at least a year. This was stated by former US Army Commander in Europe, retired lieutenant general Ben Hodges in podcast Silicon curtain.

He emphasized that he was disappointed by the lack of expected and predicted results of the counteroffensive operation.

"It was we, the West, who failed, and not Ukraine failed", – emphasized the general.

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