2 dead in Kherson while soldiers celebrate Orthodox Christmas on the front line

By VOLODYMYR YURCHUK and ELISE MORTON
Associated Press

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Two people have died in Russian shelling of the Ukrainian city of Kherson. Meanwhile, local officials say more than 100 residents of the Russian border city of Belgorod have evacuated to an area further away from Ukraine. Ukrainian attacks on Belgorod on Dec. 30 killed 25 people. On Orthodox Christmas, celebrated on Sunday, Russia’s Defense Ministry said that military priests led prayer services on the front line. Russian President Vladimir Putin was joined by families of military personnel who died in the war in Ukraine at Christmas Eve services at his residence in the western suburbs of Moscow.