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'Russia planning church attacks during Orthodox Christmas', accuses Ukraine's deputy PM

Iryna Vereshchuk urges citizens to refrain from visiting places with large crowds

Russian strike on Ukraine A local resident runs past a burning house hit by the Russian shelling in Kherson, Ukraine, on the Orthodox Christmas Eve | AP

Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk on Friday accused Russia of planning church attacks during Orthodox Christmas celebrations and warned the public against attending Christmas services.

Russia is planning to launch “terrorist attacks” in churches, Vereshchuk said, without providing evidence, as she urged citizens to “be careful and if possible refrain from visiting places with large crowds.”

“There is information that the Russians are preparing terrorist attacks in churches in the temporarily occupied territories for Orthodox Christmas,” The Guardian reported quoting Vereshchuk.

The Kyiv Independent reported quoting a Ukrainian OSINT group that they have got tip-offs about such church attacks, supposedly meant to paint Ukraine as an aggressor. 

However, Vereshchuk did not provide any evidence for her claims. She urged the public to avoid visiting places with large crowds.

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