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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Staff and agencies in Kyiv

Ukraine moves Christmas date to 25 December in snub to Russia

Ukrainian service personnel decorate a Christmas tree with ammunition, near Soledar, Ukraine, in January 2023.
Ukrainian service personnel decorate a Christmas tree with ammunition, near Soledar, Ukraine, in January 2023. Photograph: Clodagh Kilcoyne/Reuters

Ukraine has moved its official Christmas holiday to 25 December in a break with the Russian Orthodox church, which celebrates it on 7 January.

The bill signed by President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Friday highlights the deepening rift between churches in Kyiv and Moscow since Russia’s invasion of its pro-western neighbour.

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