India, Dec. 25 -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appeared to issue a veiled wish for the death of Russian President Vladimir Putin in a Christmas Eve address, even as he reiterated his call for peace following fresh Russian missile and drone strikes on Ukraine.

In a video message posted on X, Zelensky said that despite the suffering inflicted by Russia, it was incapable of destroying what mattered most to Ukrainians - their unity, faith and national spirit.

"Despite all the suffering that Russia has brought, it is not capable of occupying or bombing what matters most. That is our Ukrainian heart, our faith in one another, and our unity," Zelensky said.

Without naming Putin directly, the Ukrainian leader added, "Today, we all sh...