This is killing for the sake of intimidation and pleasure
Na manhã de Natal, forças russas atingiram o centro de Kherson, matando ao menos cinco civis e ferindo vinte outros — exatamente dez meses após o início da invasão. Sem alvos militares na área, o ataque foi condenado pelo presidente Zelensky como terror deliberado, calculado para quebrar a vontade ucraniana no momento mais simbólico e mais frio do ano. O gesto carrega um peso que vai além da destruição imediata: é uma mensagem dirigida não apenas à Ucrânia, mas a todos os povos que um dia viveram sob a sombra soviética.
- Bombas russas caíram sobre o centro de Kherson na manhã de Natal, sem qualquer alvo militar nas proximidades — apenas civis em um dia de feriado.
- O ataque coincide com o décimo mês da invasão, sugerindo uma escolha deliberada de Moscou para maximizar o impacto psicológico junto ao físico.
- Zelensky chamou o exército russo de organização terrorista e pediu ao mundo que testemunhasse o que descreveu como 'mal absoluto'.
- A estratégia russa de destruir infraestrutura energética no inverno intensifica o sofrimento civil, combinando frio, escuridão e medo como armas de guerra.
- Apesar do esgotamento, os ucranianos mantêm a resistência, apostando em novos envios de armas americanas para aumentar a pressão sobre as forças russas nos meses mais duros do conflito.
Na manhã de 24 de dezembro, forças russas atingiram o centro de Kherson, no sul da Ucrânia, matando ao menos cinco pessoas e ferindo outras vinte. Não havia instalações militares na área. O ataque aconteceu na véspera de Natal e marcou exatamente dez meses desde o início da invasão — uma coincidência que a liderança ucraniana interpretou como escolha deliberada para ampliar o dano psicológico.
O presidente Zelensky reagiu nas redes sociais com linguagem direta e sem concessões: chamou o ataque de terror puro, descreveu o exército russo como organização terrorista e pediu ao mundo que reconhecesse o que chamou de 'mal absoluto'. Kyrylo Tymoshenko, vice-chefe da administração presidencial, confirmou os números das vítimas.
O episódio reflete um padrão que se intensificou com o inverno. A Rússia tem atacado sistematicamente a infraestrutura energética ucraniana, combinando o frio da estação com o colapso de sistemas de aquecimento e eletricidade. A população está exausta, mas a resistência permanece — sustentada, em parte, pela consciência de que uma vitória russa ameaçaria não apenas a Ucrânia, mas todo o espaço pós-soviético.
Os ucranianos se preparam para passar o Natal em condições de guerra, tentando preservar pequenos gestos de normalidade enquanto aguardam os meses mais difíceis do conflito. A visita recente de Zelensky aos Estados Unidos trouxe renovado compromisso com o envio de armas — uma esperança cautelosa de que novos equipamentos permitam aumentar a pressão sobre as forças russas. É nessa mistura de exaustão, medo e determinação que a Ucrânia atravessa o inverno.
On Saturday morning, December 24th, Russian forces struck the center of Kherson, a city in southern Ukraine, killing at least five people and wounding twenty others. The attack landed on Christmas Eve—and on the exact day marking ten months since Russia's invasion began in February. There were no military installations in the area that was hit. President Volodymyr Zelensky took to social media within hours, calling it an act of terror designed to break Ukrainian will through fear. "This is killing for the sake of intimidation and pleasure," he wrote, describing what he saw as a deliberate assault on civilians rather than a military engagement.
Kyrylo Tymoshenko, the vice-chief of the presidential administration, confirmed the casualty count: at least five dead, twenty injured. Zelensky's language was unsparing. He called the Russian military a terrorist organization and urged the world to witness "absolute evil." The timing—a holiday morning, a symbolic anniversary of the war's beginning—suggested to Ukrainian leadership that Moscow was making a calculated choice to maximize psychological damage alongside physical harm.
The strike reflects a broader pattern that has intensified as winter has deepened. Over the past months, Russian forces have systematically targeted Ukraine's energy infrastructure, not just in frontline cities but across the country. The strategy appears designed to compound the misery of cold weather with the collapse of heating and power systems. Civilians have grown exhausted. The war shows no signs of ending. Yet Ukrainian resolve, according to observers on the ground, remains intact—shaped partly by fear of what Russian victory might mean for territories beyond Ukraine's borders, territories that once belonged to the Soviet Union.
Ukrainians are preparing to observe Christmas under wartime conditions. The calendar matters here: roughly half the population follows the Orthodox Christian tradition and celebrates on January 7th, thirteen days after the Western date. Even so, the holiday arrives amid rubble and cold and the constant threat of bombardment. People are attempting small recoveries of normalcy—small gestures that life continues—while understanding that the next two months, from December through February, will be among the hardest of the conflict.
There is cautious hope tied to military aid. Zelensky recently visited the United States and secured renewed commitment to weapons shipments. Ukrainians believe that new arms deliveries will allow them to increase pressure on Russian forces, potentially forcing a retreat. But this hope exists alongside exhaustion and fear. People understand that this war is not merely about Ukraine's survival, but about the future of the entire post-Soviet space. If Russia succeeds here, the logic goes, nowhere in that region is safe. So they prepare for winter. They cross their fingers. They resist.
Notable Quotes
This is not a war with defined rules. This is terror, this is killing for the sake of intimidation and pleasure.— President Volodymyr Zelensky, on the Kherson attack
The world must see the absolute evil against which we are fighting.— President Volodymyr Zelensky
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why target a city center on Christmas Eve specifically? What does that accomplish militarily?
Nothing, militarily. That's the point Zelensky was making. There were no military installations there. This is about breaking morale—making people afraid to gather, to exist in public space, especially on a day that matters to them.
So it's psychological warfare dressed up as military action?
Exactly. And it works on two levels. It terrorizes the immediate population, but it also sends a message to the world about what Russia is willing to do. Zelensky wanted everyone watching to understand the nature of what Ukraine is facing.
The timing on the ten-month anniversary seems deliberate too.
Almost certainly. You don't accidentally strike a city center on the exact day your invasion reaches a symbolic milestone. It's a statement—we're still here, we're still fighting, and we'll strike when and where we choose.
But Ukrainians are tired. The source mentions exhaustion. How do you sustain resistance when people are worn down?
By reminding them what's at stake. Ukrainians aren't just fighting for themselves. They're aware that if Russia succeeds, the entire post-Soviet space becomes vulnerable. That's a larger story than their own survival, and it matters to how they think about endurance.
Is the American military aid actually going to change the trajectory?
Ukrainians believe it will. They're banking on new weapons allowing them to increase pressure on Russian forces enough to force a retreat. Whether that happens depends on many factors, but the hope itself is keeping people moving through the winter.