"Everyone has their own": Ukrainian soldiers set up a New Year’s tree in Sudzha (photos)

On the outskirts of the city of Sudzha in the Kursk region, a New Year tree has been adorned with fluffy yellow, blue, and red garlands. Nearby is a destroyed military vehicle of the Russian Armed Forces, marked with a triangle painted on the door. Footage from the Russian territory, currently under the control of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), was shared on the Facebook page of the 22nd Separate Mechanized Brigade (22 OMB) of the AFU.

The soldiers' post appeared online around 7 AM on December 24. Attached to the post is a photo of the New Year tree, featuring three garlands and the flag of the 22nd Brigade. Beneath the tree, two Ukrainian soldiers are smiling and giving a thumbs-up in a gesture of approval and support. There is also a brief accompanying text stating that the tree was set up by the soldiers of the first battalion.

"Everyone has their own tree. Our one was installed by the warriors of the 1st Mechanized Battalion in Sudzha," the message reads.

New Year and the AFU — Details

Other New Year trees set up by the Defense Forces can also be found online. For instance, on December 22, the Facebook page of the 25th Separate Airborne Sicheslav Brigade (25 ODPBr) posted footage from the Donetsk region. Near a well-known stele on one of the roads leading to the region, there is a tree made from welded rebar. The decorations include blue and yellow ribbons, shell casings, and chevrons of the Sicheslav Brigade.

"The main tree of the country," the soldiers wrote, adding that they are fighting in the Pokrovsk direction.

It is noteworthy that on December 24, a video featuring a Christmas greeting was posted on the Facebook page of the Special Operations Forces recruitment center. The video was created in honor of the composition "Shchedryk," which composer Mykola Leontovych wrote in Pokrovsk, Donetsk region. The short narrative reveals how "Shchedryk" began to be sung abroad, thanks to the head of the UNR army, Symon Petliura. In 2024, it was performed in the Kyiv metro, and Ukrainian soldiers attempted to play it in Pokrovsk.

At the same time, in Kyiv, the main tree of the country was lit on St. Nicholas Day. In the videos and photos from the event, we see a tree illuminated with blue lights in St. Sophia Square.