Overview
- Kyiv's Christmas markets and ice rinks drew large crowds, with the Winter Wonderland at the Expocenter topping 330,000 visitors in the month's first three weeks.
- Food courts and rides ran on generators as Russian strikes on the power grid triggered recurring outages.
- Ukrainian air force data analyzed by AFP shows long-range attacks occurred on all but five nights in 2025, underscoring the constant threat.
- Residents described set routines for air-raid alerts and reliance on inverters at home as children grow up accustomed to the war.
- Officials pressed for conservation, and public squares doubled as venues for both festivities and Dec 21 protests over prisoners of war, alongside fresh funerals.