In a devastating attack on Sunday, Russian shelling in Ukraine's Kherson region claimed the lives of four individuals, including an elderly couple, and left numerous others injured. Among the victims were an 87-year-old man and his 81-year-old wife, who tragically perished in their apartment building following a strike.

According to Oleksandr Prokudin, the head of the regional military administration, the barrage of shelling also caused injuries to nine other people, including a 15-year-old adolescent. Additionally, the attack sparked fires in homes and a private medical facility, while a local gas pipeline was set ablaze.

The shelling extended beyond Kherson, reaching the center of the region's capital city bearing the same name. The assault unfolded amidst preparations for Ukraine's inaugural celebration of Christmas on December 25, a departure from the traditional observance on January 7. Last year, some Orthodox Ukrainians opted to celebrate Christmas on December 25 in response to Russia's invasion.

The cathedral in the Monastery of the Caves, a revered UNESCO World Heritage Site in Kyiv, commemorated Christmas on January 7 of this year. Notably, the service was conducted in the Ukrainian language for the first time in the nation's 31 years of independence from the Soviet Union. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy authorized legislation in July, moving the public Christmas Day holiday to December 25. However, one of Ukraine's competing Orthodox church organizations adheres to the January date dictated by the Julian calendar.

In a video address, filmed in front of the historic Kyiv Pechersk Lavra in central Kyiv, President Zelenskyy emphasized the nation's resilience in the face of Russia's full-scale invasion. He assured the Ukrainian people that progress was being made in their fight against the darkness, stating, "step by step, day by day, the darkness is losing." Zelenskyy's heartfelt message rallied the nation and reiterated the shared goals of freedom, victory, and a united Ukraine.

The attack on Kherson was not an isolated incident, as Russian forces launched 15 drone strikes overnight. Ukrainian air force reported the destruction of 14 Iranian-made Shahed drones in the Mykolaiv, Kirovohrad, Zaporizhzhya, Dnipropetrovsk, and Khmelnytskyi regions. Meanwhile, in northern Ukraine's Kharkiv region, 20 towns and villages came under Russian shelling, resulting in two individuals sustaining wounds, as reported by Governor Oleh Syniehubov.

Across the border in Russia, an innocent man in the Bryansk region suffered injuries when a nearby village came under fire, according to Governor Alexander Bogomaz. The ongoing violence highlights the urgent need for a peaceful resolution to the escalating conflict between the two nations.

As the people of Ukraine mourn the loss of their fellow citizens and assess the extensive damage caused by the shelling, the international community continues to condemn Russia's aggression and call for an end to the hostilities. The casualties and destruction serve as a somber reminder of the human toll and suffering inflicted by the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

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