Christmas Lights Around World to Go Dark in Solidarity with Ukraine

London’s famous Wembley Stadium arch, the Colosseum in Rome, Sydney Opera House (9 p.m. local time), and Toronto’s CN Tower have answered Ukraine’s call to turn the lights out tonight at 8 p.m. (local time) in solidarity with Ukraine.

Other famous sites – including Bute House (the Scottish First Minister’s official residence) European Commission and Parliament buildings in Brussels and Strasbourg, London’s Royal Albert Hall, Oxo Tower, and City Hall, Reykjavik’s City Hall, Budapest’s Liberty Bridge, and the Palace of Culture and Science in Warsaw – will also join the moving moment which highlights that on the darkest day of the year as Ukraine faces a winter of blackouts and war because of Russia’s illegal invasion.

City Halls and Christmas trees in Prague (Czechia), Poznan (Poland), Turku (Finland),  Gdansk (Poland), Vilnius (Lithuania), and Riga (Latvia) will also turn off their lights for Ukraine.

The #LightUpUkraine campaign calls upon institutions and people across the globe to turn off the lights at 8pm tonight, local time, in solidarity with Ukrainian people, who are facing blackouts this winter due to Russia’s full-scale invasion, and to help raise funds for generators for hospitals across Ukraine.

Last week Russia delivered one of its most severe blows to Ukraine’s power grid, leaving around 10 million people without electricity.

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Ukraine’s army is on the backfoot in most parts of the front while Russia presses on with its advantage ahead of the inauguration next month of US president-elect Donald Trump.

Using missiles and Iranian drones, the terrorist state has caused damage to almost 50% of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. This led to emergency power outages in every region, leaving homes, businesses, hospitals, and other public infrastructure without light, heat, internet connection, or tap water.

The #LightUpUkraine campaign aims to raise $10 million via the UNITED24, Ukraine’s national fundraising platform, launched by the President of Ukraine, for 1000 generators to power Ukrainian hospitals this winter, after Russia’s missiles and drones damaged Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.

Due to the constant attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, Ukrainian doctors have to save lives and perform complex surgeries by flashlight, posing an additional threat to people’s lives.

The cost of generators ranges between $2,000 to $35,000, depending on their capacity and purpose. There are generators that can power surgeries and entire departments, and other, less powerful ones, that can support the operation of separate pieces of medical equipment.