Fresh Russian Attacks as Zelenskyy Says No Elections Before Ceasefire
As Russia continues carrying out deadly strikes against Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, whose term in office has technically ended, says there can't be any elections in the country until a ceasefire. Under Ukrainian law, elections are prohibited while martial law remains in effect to maintain government continuity and national defense.
Ukraine Conflict: A Nation Braces for a Fourth Year of War
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REPORTER:
A week after peace talks, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine looks likely to head into a fourth year. Media talk of elections in Ukraine looks premature, with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying there won’t be a vote before a ceasefire. With no sign of that in sight, Ukrainians try to cope with another harsh winter.
REPORTER:
First responders comb the ruins of a home hit by a Russian drone in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region. There’s nothing they can do.
REPORTER:
Of the family that lived here, a pregnant woman is the only survivor.
REPORTER:
A 34-year-old woman miraculously survived - she was swept away from the house by the impact. She suffered first-degree burns and bruises on different parts of her body. Three children, a one-year-old girl and two two-year-old boys, and a 34-year-old man died. They were crushed by the ceiling.
REPORTER:
Just last week, Ukraine, Russia and the US held talks about stopping Russia’s war on Ukraine. But the body count keeps rising. And so Ukraine is holding its course— in more ways than one.
REPORTER:
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s term was supposed to have ended in 2024. But he says with ongoing attacks like these, it’s not yet safe to hold an election—contradicting a Financial Times report that he could call a vote later this month.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy (PRESIDENT):
I have always said that the question of elections is raised by one partner or another of Ukraine; Ukraine itself has never raised it, but we are certainly ready for elections. I have said it’s very simple to do: establish a ceasefire, and there will be elections. In other words, it’s a matter of security.
REPORTER:
Though the situation remains bleak, Ukrainians are finding small ways to cope.
REPORTER:
First, there’s coping physically. In from the freezing air, people in Kyiv climb into this makeshift sauna tent. It’s free—and mobile. And the person who came up with the idea says it’s a great help to people who've lost heating at home. Russian strikes on Ukraine’s energy sector have left the country facing subzero temperatures.
Mykola Bondar (PROJECT ORGANIZER):
Now that this cold spell has begun, we decided that we needed to find a mobile solution that would help people. And it really works, because in this small sauna, in just 30 to 40 minutes, at a temperature of no more than 50 degrees and with dry steam, a person, even sitting in their clothes, warms up from the inside.
REPORTER:
And there’s emotional coping, too. Over a thousand kilometers from Kyiv at the Winter Olympics in northern Italy, one Ukrainian athlete says he’s prepared to be disqualified to make a statement.
REPORTER:
Skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych trains with a helmet plastered with images of fellow Ukrainian athletes killed in Russia’s invasion.
REPORTER:
The International Olympic Committee has banned the helmet, saying it breaks rules about political messages during competition. It says he can express his feelings, just in more appropriate settings.
Mark Adams (INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE SPOKESPERSON):
We would encourage him to express his grief. We feel his grief. We would express him... we expressly want him to do that but you know, in the end, let me be clear, it's not the message it's the place that counts.
REPORTER:
But Heraskevych says the helmet’s about remembrance, not politics. And he says it stays — even if it costs him a chance at a medal. For his country, there’s been no Olympic Truce.
Vladyslav Heraskevych (SKELETON RACER):
People now, you already heard about conditions in Ukraine, and with, let's say, like war fatigue, understand that - we heard it in the world media - people feel in Ukraine sometimes to be forgotten, and it's important to remind the world what happens now in Ukraine.
REPORTER:
As the fourth anniversary of Russia’s invasion approaches, neither peace nor elections are in sight. But many Ukrainians are still holding on—hoping that this hard time in their country will soon pass into history.
