Russian Missiles Rainy Cities In Ukraine On Christmas Day

JAKARTA - Russian troops bombarded a number of cities in Ukraine on Christmas Day, when Russian President Vladimir Putin said he was open to negotiations, a Washington stance was rejected because of the continuing Russian attack.

Russia on Sunday launched more than 10 rocket attacks into Kupiansk District in the Kharkiv region, opened fire on more than 25 cities along the Kupiansk-Lyman frontline, and in Zaporizhia hit nearly 20 cities, Ukraine's main military command said.

The Russian Defense Ministry said on Sunday it had killed about 60 Ukrainian soldiers the previous day along the Kupiansk-Lyman contact line and destroyed many Ukrainian military equipment.

Reuters was unable to independently verify the report.

The invasion of Russia into Ukraine on February 24 - what Moscow calls a "special military operation" - has sparked the largest European conflict since the Second World War and confrontation between Moscow and the West since the 1962 Cuban Crisis.

Despite President Putin's latest offer to negotiate, the 10-month conflict has not shown any signs of ending.

"We are ready to negotiate with everyone involved on acceptable solutions, but it's up to them, we are not the party that refuses to negotiate, they are the ones who refuse," President Putin told state television Rossiya 1 in an interview broadcast on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said President Putin needed to return to reality and recognize Russia does not want talks.

"Russia alone attacked Ukraine and killed its citizens," Mykhailo Podolyak tweeted.

"Russia does not want negotiations, but tries to avoid responsibility," he continued.

Russian attacks on power plants have left millions without power. President Zelensky said Moscow would try to make the last few days of 2022 dark and difficult.

"Russia has lost everything this year. I know the darkness won't stop us from leading the invaders to a new defeat. But we have to be prepared for any scenario," President Zelensky said in a video speech at night on Christmas Day.

Ukraine traditionally did not celebrate Christmas on December 25, but on January 7, just like Russia. However, this year some Ukrainian Orthodoxs decided to celebrate their vacation on December 25 and Ukrainian officials, starting with President Zelensky and Prime Minister Ukraine, releasing Christmas congratulations on Sunday.

The Kremlin said it would fight until all of its territorial goals were achieved, while Kyiv said it would not stop until every Russian soldier was expelled from the country.

Asked if geopolitical conflict with the West was nearing a dangerous level, Putin said on Sunday: "I don't think it's too dangerous."

Kyiv and West said Putin had no justification for what they called the imperial-style occupation war.