Putin announces a cease-fire in Ukraine
The Russian Ministry of Defense announced that, on the instructions of Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Russian forces have been instructed to establish a temporary 36-hour ceasefire along the military front line with Ukraine, effective from 12:00 on Friday, January 6, until 12:00. 24:00 on Saturday, January 7th (Local time).
The Russian Ministry of Defense said, in a statement on Thursday, that based on the instructions of the President of the Russian Federation, the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation ordered the forces to cease fire for a period of 36 hours, starting from 12:00 on January 6 of this year until the time 24:00 on January 7 this year, along the front line between the parties in Ukraine”.
The Kremlin announced on Thursday, that the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, instructed the Russian Minister of Defense, Sergey Shoigu, to cease fire in Ukraine, starting from 12:00 Friday, January 6, until 24:00. 00 on January 7th.
“In light of the appeal of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill, I instruct the Russian Defense Minister to hold a ceasefire along the line of contact between the parties in Ukraine from 12:00 on January 6 until 24:00 on January 7,” Putin said, according to a statement issued by the Kremlin’s press service.
The statement added, “Based on the fact that a large number of citizens who convert to Orthodoxy live in the combat zones, we call on the Ukrainian side to declare a cease-fire and give them the opportunity to attend the mass on Christmas Eve and the day of the birth of Christ”.
On Thursday, the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, Kirill, proposed declaring a truce in Ukraine on the occasion of Christmas from 12:00 on January 6 to 24:00 on January 7.
Kirill said in a statement published on the website of the Moscow Patriarchate: “I, Kirill, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, address all parties involved in the conflict with a call for a cease-fire and the declaration of a Christmas truce from 12:00 on January 6 until 24:00 on January 7, so that Orthodox from performing prayers on Christmas Eve and the day of the birth of Christ.
Russian forces have been continuing the special military operation in Ukraine since February 24, to complete the liberation of the four regions that joined the Russian Federation.
Since the launch of the operation, Moscow has declared that its goal is to protect the population of Donbas, who have been subjected to persecution by the Kyiv regime for eight years, to oblige Ukraine to be a militarily neutral country, and to bring its war criminals to justice.
