<p>Kyiv plans to erect Christmas trees, minus lights, throughout the battered city in a defiant display of holiday spirit as the capital area's millions of residents suffer through blackouts due to Russian attacks, officials said.</p>.<p>"No one is going to cancel the New Year and Christmas, and the atmosphere of the New Year should be there," Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko told the <em>RBC-Ukraine</em> news agency in an interview. "We cannot allow Putin to steal our Christmas."</p>.<p>Sergey Kovalenko, chief executive officer of YASNO, which provides power to Kyiv, said on his Facebook page that to save electricity, the trees will be without illuminations and garlands.</p>.<p>"There will be the New Year's-Christmas tree and it will be the most energy-responsible, but still festive for all of us," Kovalenko said.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/international/world-news-politics/russia-wont-stop-strikes-until-it-runs-out-of-missiles-zelenskyy-says-1166458.html" target="_blank">Russia won't stop strikes until it runs out of missiles, Zelenskyy says</a></strong></p>.<p>Klitschko said that there will be no mass gatherings or concerts - a tradition to welcome the New Year. The city's businesses will sponsor trees throughout Kyiv, including on the Sophia Square in the Old Kyiv neighbourhood.</p>.<p>"Christmas trees will be installed especially to remind our children of the New Year's mood," Klitschko said. "You know, I don't want to take Santa Claus away from the children."</p>.<p>Russia has been carrying out massive missile bombardments on Ukraine's energy infrastructure roughly weekly since early October, with each barrage having greater impact than the last as damage accumulates and a frigid winter sets in.</p>.<p>Snow has been falling in Kyiv, a city that had 2.8 million residents before the war, as people struggled with disruptions to electricity supply and central heating.</p>
<p>Kyiv plans to erect Christmas trees, minus lights, throughout the battered city in a defiant display of holiday spirit as the capital area's millions of residents suffer through blackouts due to Russian attacks, officials said.</p>.<p>"No one is going to cancel the New Year and Christmas, and the atmosphere of the New Year should be there," Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko told the <em>RBC-Ukraine</em> news agency in an interview. "We cannot allow Putin to steal our Christmas."</p>.<p>Sergey Kovalenko, chief executive officer of YASNO, which provides power to Kyiv, said on his Facebook page that to save electricity, the trees will be without illuminations and garlands.</p>.<p>"There will be the New Year's-Christmas tree and it will be the most energy-responsible, but still festive for all of us," Kovalenko said.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/international/world-news-politics/russia-wont-stop-strikes-until-it-runs-out-of-missiles-zelenskyy-says-1166458.html" target="_blank">Russia won't stop strikes until it runs out of missiles, Zelenskyy says</a></strong></p>.<p>Klitschko said that there will be no mass gatherings or concerts - a tradition to welcome the New Year. The city's businesses will sponsor trees throughout Kyiv, including on the Sophia Square in the Old Kyiv neighbourhood.</p>.<p>"Christmas trees will be installed especially to remind our children of the New Year's mood," Klitschko said. "You know, I don't want to take Santa Claus away from the children."</p>.<p>Russia has been carrying out massive missile bombardments on Ukraine's energy infrastructure roughly weekly since early October, with each barrage having greater impact than the last as damage accumulates and a frigid winter sets in.</p>.<p>Snow has been falling in Kyiv, a city that had 2.8 million residents before the war, as people struggled with disruptions to electricity supply and central heating.</p>