Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appeared to express a wish for the death of Russian President Vladimir Putin in a Christmas message delivered amidst a renewed wave of missile and drone attacks across Ukraine. The address, posted on X on Christmas Eve, underscored the devastating impact of the ongoing conflict while asserting Ukraine’s unwavering spirit and unity in the face of aggression.
In his poignant message, Mr. Zelensky stated, “Despite all the suffering that Russia has brought, it is not capable of occupying or bombing what matters most. That is our Ukrainian heart, our faith in one another, and our unity.” He then added a powerful, indirect reference to President Putin: “Today, we all share one dream. And we make one wish – for all of us. ‘May he perish’, each of us may think to ourselves. But when we turn to God, of course, we ask for something greater, we ask for peace for Ukraine. We fight for it, we pray for it, we deserve it.”
The Ukrainian leader’s comments followed a series of intense Russian bombardments that struck regions across Ukraine. On Tuesday, these attacks resulted in at least three fatalities and triggered emergency power outages in various areas. Further strikes on Christmas night claimed the lives of at least two more individuals in drone attacks targeting the southern port city of Odesa and the northeastern city of Kharkiv.
Mr. Zelensky condemned the relentless assaults, describing Russia’s actions as a “godless strike” on the eve of Christmas. He detailed the scale of the offensive, citing “massive shelling, hundreds of ‘shaheds’, ballistic missiles, Kinzhal strikes – everything was used.” His address also paid tribute to fallen heroes, those displaced by occupation, and individuals enduring hardship while maintaining their Ukrainian identity, emphasizing national solidarity.
Amid the escalating hostilities, discussions surrounding a potential peace settlement continue, with Mr. Zelensky reiterating his conditional willingness to withdraw troops from Ukraine’s eastern industrial heartland. He indicated openness to such a move if Moscow also pulls back its forces, transforming the area into a demilitarised zone monitored by international observers.
The United States has reportedly proposed the creation of a “free economic zone” in the region, which Mr. Zelensky insists must also be demilitarised. A similar arrangement could potentially be applied to the area surrounding the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which remains under Russian control. However, the Ukrainian president has firmly stated that any comprehensive peace plan would ultimately require approval through a national referendum.
Diplomatic efforts to broker an end to the nearly four-year-old conflict have seen American negotiators engage separately with Ukrainian and Russian officials. These talks gained momentum following a peace proposal presented last month by former US President Donald Trump, a plan widely perceived as favouring Moscow. Since its introduction, Ukraine and its European allies have worked to align the proposal more closely with Kyiv’s strategic objectives.
Concurrently, both sides continue to report ongoing military engagements. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin stated that Russian air defence units successfully intercepted 25 Ukrainian drones aimed at the Russian capital throughout Wednesday. Conversely, Ukraine’s military claimed its overnight drone operations struck the Yefremov synthetic rubber plant in Russia’s Tula region, south of Moscow, and a storage facility for marine drones in Russian-occupied Crimea. Tula regional Governor Dmitry Milyaev confirmed that debris from a downed Ukrainian drone sparked a fire at an industrial site in the area.
