The small village of Tsirkuny, in Kharkiv region, bears the scars of Russian occupation. Residents have not had power since February, when the full-scale invasion broke out. Now municipal workers rush to repair destroyed power lines and pylons as the New Year looms. A small Christmas tree in front of the village's shrapnel-scarred administrative buildings was decorated with what was left in locals' homes. "It's great that the Christmas tree was decorated" says Mariya Davidova, who stayed in Tsirkuny through the occupation, "we want peace, and we want less of our defenders to die. For what, why? It's absurd". Another resident, Dina Alforova, visiting the village after temporarily moving away, hopes "that the year 2023 will be joyful, we will return to our homes." IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES