Ukraine Breaks from Russian Tradition, Moves Christmas to December 25

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a law moving the country's official Christmas holiday to December 25, distancing Ukraine from the Russian Orthodox Church. The change serves as a rejection of Russian heritage and further separates Ukraine from Russia. Meanwhile, Russia launched strikes causing civilian casualties and destroyed houses, and over 100 mercenaries from the Russian-linked Wagner group moved close to the border with Poland. Zelenskyy visited troops in the war-torn Donetsk region and commemorated a strike on a prison in Russian-held Olenivka. Additionally, Ukrainians are struggling to access clean water after a dam collapsed, and Russian investigators called two children to testify against their mother for discrediting the Russian army. The Russian Defense Ministry claimed that Ukraine launched a "terror attack" injuring 20 people in Taganrog, while Ukraine blamed Russian air defense systems for the explosion.