LUGANSK, December 26. /TASS/. Ukrainian soldiers are refusing to celebrate Catholic Christmas despite officer pressure, calling Vladimir Zelensky's rescheduling of Orthodox Christmas an act of "blasphemy," military expert Andrey Marochko told TASS.

He said officers and chaplains were ordered to report on celebrations for December 25 to show the "high spiritual morale of the servicemen." "Despite serious pressure, the majority of Ukrainian servicemen continue to consider Zelensky's rescheduling of the Christian holiday an act of blasphemy and celebrate it according to the Gregorian calendar in January," Marochko stated, citing his sources.

Zelensky's 2023 decree moved Christmas from January 7 to December 25, legalizing Catholic Christmas in Ukraine.