Russian Christmas provocation. What should Ukraine expect?

In 2023, Orthodox Christians in Ukraine will officially celebrate Christmas on December 25 for the first time. The Ukrainian Armed Forces have reported that Russian occupation forces may intensify attacks on Ukrainian cities during the holidays.

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church switched to the New Julian calendar on September 1. Therefore, for the first time in many years, Ukrainians will celebrate holidays together with EU countries. Natalia Humeniuk, spokeswoman for the Southern Defense Forces, referred to the holidays during the TV news marathon "Jedyni novyny". She said shelling by Russian troops over Christmas was is possible. However, she emphasized that the occupation army could attack Ukraine regardless of the specific date. According to her, shelling could occur at any time. Humeniuk noted that intense shelling also took place last week. Additionally, enemy drones are moving towards the towns of Kucurubsk and Ochakiw. Therefore, the Armed Forces of Ukraine do not rule out the possibility of firing on December 25.

This means that the enemy is trying to distract our efforts. Therefore, similar provocations to intensify the firing cannot be ruled out. We must understand that this nation does not recognize anything sacred
- said Humeniuk.

The Russians are losing on the front line

The destruction of three Russian Su-34 fighters by the Ukrainian Defense Forces had a significant impact on the situation in the south of the country. Humeniuk said that the Russians are trying to find out how the Ukrainian military managed to hit their planes and that is why they have stopped using guided aerial rockets.

It was previously reported that on the evening of December 23, air defense forces shot down four Russian Shahed-136/131 kamikaze drones over the Dnipro region. There were no hits, but the wreckage of the destroyed targets caused damage to surrounding buildings.

Gen. Danilov explains whether a million drones can turn the tide on the front

Ukraine plans to produce a huge number of drones next year to defend itself against the Russian military. "Plans to produce about 1 million drones by 2024 are quite achievable. However, even such a large number will not be enough for the entire front line", Oleksiy Danilov, secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, said in an interview with Ukrainian Radio.

According to him, a million drones is only about 80,000 monthly. He also added that new companies are appearing in Ukraine that want to join the production of drones.

That's not a big number for the front line. If you divide it by 12 months, it will be approximately 80,000 monthly. This is not much for today's front line. I am convinced that our producers will cope with this task. More and more companies are joining this process, undergoing appropriate tests and certification, and joining the ranks of these manufacturers
- said Danilov.