In the centre of St Sophia Square in Kyiv is a solitary Christmas tree with a Ukrainian trident symbol at its tip. It is wreathed in fog, its blue and yellow lights powered by a diesel generator nearby and decorated with white doves symbolising the Ukrainian hope for peace.
The buildings around all stand in darkness, just a few solitary lights coming from individual windows as the country suffers the latest in a stream of regular electricity blackouts due to relentless Russian missile and drone attacks on power stations throughout the country.
