Putin offers ceasefire of 36 hours for Orthodox Christmas
The announcement comes following a request for a ceasefire during the religious holiday from Russia"s 76-year-old Orthodox leader Patriarch Kirill.
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Moscow, Jan 06: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday ordered a temporary ceasefire in Ukraine on Orthodox Christmas, celebrated this week by both countries, according to the Kremlin. This is the first time Russia introduced a full ceasefire in Ukraine since the launch of the offensive in February last year.
The announcement comes following a request for a ceasefire during the religious holiday from Russia's 76-year-old Orthodox leader Patriarch Kirill.
Russia-Ukraine War
— Natasha Fatah (@NatashaFatah) January 6, 2023
Putin orders his army to observe a 36-hour ceasefire in Ukraine this weekend for the Orthodox Christmas holiday
Zelenskyy says it's a cover up
Journalist @OlgaTokariuk just spent 10 days in Ukraine and she doesn't believe Putin eitherhttps://t.co/TQmnPl2j2A pic.twitter.com/xOllQxPGTd
"I instruct the defence minister of the Russian Federation to introduce from 12:00 (0900 GMT) on January 6, 2023, until 24:00 (2100 GMT) on January 7, 2023, a ceasefire along the entire line of contact between the sides in Ukraine," the Kremlin said in a statement. "Given the fact that a large number of citizens professing Orthodoxy live in the areas of combat, we call on the Ukrainian side to declare a ceasefire and give them the opportunity to attend church services on Christmas Eve, as well as on the Day of the Nativity of Christ," the statement added.
In a call with the Russian leader earlier Thursday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pressed Putin to declare a "unilateral" ceasefire in Ukraine.