Amid sirens and airstrikes, undeterred Ukrainians begin new year in full spirit | Watch

As the world welcomed 2023 with cheers, fireworks, and joy in the air, a country in Europe stepped into the new year with darkness and uncertainty, but also unwavering hope for better days ahead. A video shared by Ukraine’s foreign ministry displays a blacked-out residential area in the capital Kyiv. Despite being under curfew, the city’s residents chanted “Glory to Ukraine” in unison. 

“This is how Kyiv celebrated New Year! All over #Ukraine, we have a curfew for security reasons so that people can gather only at home.‘Glory to Ukraine – #SlavaUkraini’ was well heard from neighboring buildings. Cheers to the victory!” the ministry captioned the video on Twitter.

On the battleground, Ukrainian defenders shot down a Russian drone with a “greeting” written on it. "These wreckages are not at the front, where fierce battles are taking place, they are here, on the sports ground, where children play," said Chief of the Kyiv Oblast Police Andriy Nebytov. 

How Kyiv marked the New Year

Inhabitants of Kyiv did not give up on their celebratory spirit on New Year's Eve, despite the latest barrage of Russian missile strikes that targeted the Ukrainian capital. Instead, many young revelers celebrated the night away at an industrial warehouse, showcasing an act of defiance against Russian bombardments.

“The main message of this party is that the war isn’t stopping and we shouldn’t stop either. We should continue to do our thing, to work, to party, to be strong,” said ‘Ugly Boy’, a nickname for one of the party’s organizers who did not want to reveal his identity over safety concerns for him and his wife, who is an active servicemember, according to NBC News.