Three Russian servicemen have been killed after a Ukrainian drone crashed near an air base deep inside Russian territory, Russia's defense ministry said, according to Russian state news. The Ukrainian Air Force did not claim direct responsibility, but suggested the attack was the “consequence of what Russia is doing.”
President Volodymyr Zelensky called on Ukrainians to have “patience and faith” in a defiant Christmas address Sunday, warning Russia will try to make the last days of the year "dark and difficult." Zelensky's comments came after Russia unleashed another round of deadly strikes on the southern city of Kherson on Saturday.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Sunday he's ready to negotiate "about acceptable solutions" regarding the war in Ukraine, according to Russian state news. A Zelensky adviser in response said Moscow "doesn’t want negotiations, but tries to avoid responsibility" as it continues to attack civilians.
Pope Francis expressed his wish for world peace during his annual Christmas day message and blessing delivered at the Vatican on Sunday, reiterating his appeal for an end to the war in Ukraine.
“Let our eyes be filled with the faces of our Ukrainian brothers and sisters who are living this Christmas in the dark and the cold far from their homes due to the devastation that destruction caused by ten months of war,” the Pope said.
“May the Lord inspire us to offer concrete gestures of solidarity to assist all those who are suffering and may him lighten the minds of those who have the power to silence the thunder of weapons and put an immediate end to this senseless war,” he added.
Pope Francis also wished for the “end of bloodshed” in Iran and for peaceful co-existence between different communities in the Middle East.
The Pope also condemned the use of food as a weapon.
“We know that every war causes hunger and food is exploited as a weapon hindering its distribution to people who are already suffering,” Pope Francis said, urging “those who hold political responsibilities that they commit to make food solely an instrument of peace.”
Russia will try to make the last few days of the year "dark and difficult," Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his nightly address on Sunday.
“There are only a few days left this year,” Zelensky said. “We must be aware that our enemy will try to make this time dark and difficult for us.”
“Russia lost everything it could this year,” the Ukrainian president continued. “But it is trying to compensate for its losses with the gloating of its propagandists after the missile strikes at our country, at our energy sector.”
Zelensky urged Ukrainians “to be ready for any scenario” and “remember where the nearest point of invincibility is located.”
“More than 5,500 points have already been opened throughout the country,“ he added.
The "invincibility points" offer emergency shelter and services for Ukrainians without power following Russian attacks. Now Playing
'Keep calm': Video shows Russian official reassuring soldiers on front lines
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Russia's war in Ukraine
By Aditi Sangal, Leinz Vales, Elise Hammond and Maureen Chowdhury, CNN
Updated 12:37 p.m. ET, December 26, 2022
What we're covering here
Three Russian servicemen have been killed after a Ukrainian drone crashed near an air base deep inside Russian territory, Russia's defense ministry said, according to Russian state news. The Ukrainian Air Force did not claim direct responsibility, but suggested the attack was the “consequence of what Russia is doing.”
President Volodymyr Zelensky called on Ukrainians to have “patience and faith” in a defiant Christmas address Sunday, warning Russia will try to make the last days of the year "dark and difficult." Zelensky's comments came after Russia unleashed another round of deadly strikes on the southern city of Kherson on Saturday.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Sunday he's ready to negotiate "about acceptable solutions" regarding the war in Ukraine, according to Russian state news. A Zelensky adviser in response said Moscow "doesn’t want negotiations, but tries to avoid responsibility" as it continues to attack civilians.
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3 hr 58 min ago
Pope reiterates his appeal for an end to the war in Ukraine in his annual Christmas blessing
From CNN’s Xiaofei Xu and Chris Liakos
Pope Francis delivers his annual Christmas Day message from the main balcony of St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican on December 25.
Pope Francis delivers his annual Christmas Day message from the main balcony of St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican on December 25. (Vatican Media/Reuters)
Pope Francis expressed his wish for world peace during his annual Christmas day message and blessing delivered at the Vatican on Sunday, reiterating his appeal for an end to the war in Ukraine.
“Let our eyes be filled with the faces of our Ukrainian brothers and sisters who are living this Christmas in the dark and the cold far from their homes due to the devastation that destruction caused by ten months of war,” the Pope said.
“May the Lord inspire us to offer concrete gestures of solidarity to assist all those who are suffering and may him lighten the minds of those who have the power to silence the thunder of weapons and put an immediate end to this senseless war,” he added.
Pope Francis also wished for the “end of bloodshed” in Iran and for peaceful co-existence between different communities in the Middle East.
The Pope also condemned the use of food as a weapon.
“We know that every war causes hunger and food is exploited as a weapon hindering its distribution to people who are already suffering,” Pope Francis said, urging “those who hold political responsibilities that they commit to make food solely an instrument of peace.”
4 hr 15 min ago
Russia will try to make the last few days of the year "dark and difficult" for Ukraine, Zelensky warns
From CNN's Mariya Knight
Zelensky speaks during his nightly address on December 25.
Zelensky speaks during his nightly address on December 25. (Presidential Office of Ukraine)
Russia will try to make the last few days of the year "dark and difficult," Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his nightly address on Sunday.
“There are only a few days left this year,” Zelensky said. “We must be aware that our enemy will try to make this time dark and difficult for us.”
“Russia lost everything it could this year,” the Ukrainian president continued. “But it is trying to compensate for its losses with the gloating of its propagandists after the missile strikes at our country, at our energy sector.”
Zelensky urged Ukrainians “to be ready for any scenario” and “remember where the nearest point of invincibility is located.”
“More than 5,500 points have already been opened throughout the country,“ he added.
The "invincibility points" offer emergency shelter and services for Ukrainians without power following Russian attacks.
3 hr 36 min ago
The incident at Russia's Engels air base is a "consequence of Russian aggression," Ukrainian official says
From CNN's Olga Voitovych
Ukrainian Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat did not claim direct responsibility for the drone incident at a Russian military facility in the western city of Engels in Saratov Oblast which led to the death of three Russian servicemen. But he did suggest the attack was the “consequence of what Russia is doing.”
“If the Russians thought that the war would not affect anyone in the deep rear (of Russia) or anywhere else, they were deeply mistaken. Therefore, as we see, such things are happening more and more often, and let’s hope that this will only benefit Ukraine,” said Ihnat.
Also on Monday, a spokesperson for South of Ukraine’s Security and Defense Forces warned of a possible retaliatory Russian strike, referencing a similar incident earlier this month in the same region.
“This reminds of the events of Dec. 5, so there may be some deja vu, some repetition of this situation, after which [the Russians] launched a massive missile strike,” the spokesperson said. “Therefore, we should be prepared for this, take it into account in our plans and do not forget to proceed to the shelter.”
Some context: Earlier this month, CCTV footage appeared to show an explosion lighting up the sky in Engels. At the time, Saratov Oblast Gov. Roman Busargin also reassured residents that no civilian infrastructure was damaged and that “information about incidents at military facilities is being checked by law enforcement agencies.”
He had acknowledged that information about “a loud bang and a burst in Engels in the early morning” was spreading on social networks and the media.
The Engels-2 airfield is nearly six kilometers from where the CCTV footage was recorded in early December.