Ukraine has moved its official Christmas holiday to 25 December in a break with the Russian Orthodox Church which celebrates it on 7 January, according to legislation passed today.
The bill signed by President Volodymyr Zelensky highlights the deepening rift between churches in Kyiv and Moscow since Russia's invasion of its pro-Western neighbour.
"The relentless and successful struggle for their identity contributes to... the desire of every Ukrainian to live their own life with their own traditions and holidays," according to an explanatory note to the bill on the parliament's website.
The purpose of the law was to "abandon the Russian heritage of imposing Christmas celebrations on 7 January," the note said.
Ukraine had been under Russia's spiritual leadership since at least the 17th century, but part of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church broke with Moscow in 2019 over Russia's annexation of Crimea and support for separatists in the east of their country.
The Russia-backed branch of Ukraine's Orthodox Church also said it had severed ties with Moscow in May 2022.
The decision to move Christmas is the latest in a series of steps taken by Ukraine in recent years to distance itself from Moscow, such as renaming streets and towns named after Soviet figures.
Russia says it intercepted two Ukrainian missiles
Meanwhile, earlier today Russia said it intercepted two Ukrainian missiles over its southern Rostov region bordering Ukraine, with at least a dozen people wounded by debris falling on the city of Taganrog.
Regions bordering Ukraine have seen regular drone strikes and shelling since Moscow launched its military campaign in February last year, but have hardly ever been targeted by missiles.
"Russian air defence equipment detected the Ukrainian missile and intercepted it in the air. The debris of the downed Ukrainian missile fell on the territory of Taganrog," Russia's defence ministry said in a statement.
The ministry said the first S-200 missile was aimed at "residential infrastructure" of Taganrog, a city of around 250,000 people.
Shortly after, it said it downed a second S-200 missile near the city of Azov, with debris falling in an unpopulated area.
Rostov region governor Vasily Golubev said 15 people suffered "light injuries" from shards in an explosion near the "Chekhov Garden" café in central Taganrog.
Russian missile hits apartments in Dnipro - Zelensky
A Russian missile struck a multi-storey residential building in the central city of Dnipro today injuring at least five people, Ukraine's interior minister said.
"Five people were wounded following a Russian strike on a multistorey building in Dnipro," Internal Affairs Minister Igor Klymenko said on Telegram, adding that rescuers were at the scene.
Videos posted on social media showed smoke billowing from the top floors of a residential building that had been badly damaged.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said: "Dnipro. Friday evening. A high-rise building and the Security Service of Ukraine's building were hit. Russian missile terror again".
"All necessary services are on site... We keep the situation under control. We will do everything to bring Russia to full punishment for aggression and terror against our people."
