A Christmas season without its traditional glow in Ukraine

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Just a year ago, Sophia Square in Kyiv was all about the big Christmas tree and thousands of lights spreading over the plaza. These final days of 2022, in the middle of a war that has ravaged the country for 10 months, a more modest tree stands there, its blue and yellow lights barely breaking the gloom of the square that is otherwise dark apart from the headlights of cars.

In recent months, Russia has been targeting the energy infrastructure, aiming to cut electricity and heating to Ukrainians, as the freezing winter advances. And although the Ukraine government tries to move as fast as it can, it's been practically impossible to restore power for every single person in the country, including the more than 3 million residents of the capital.

There are days when streets in Kyiv's downtown have light, but the authorities have imposed some restrictions and scheduled power cuts, meaning that there's no traditional gleaming city during the Christmas season.

But even in these gloomy moments, some people have decided to show their determination and rescue whatever they can these holidays — like the Christmas tree, still standing proud even if it doesn't have the brightness of recent years.