Russia says it will honour unilateral ceasefire with Ukraine until Saturday midnight amid reports of artillery fire in the frontline city of Bakhmut
Saturday, January 7, 2023Russia's defence ministry said its forces in Ukraine would maintain a ceasefire it unilaterally declared in honour of Orthodox Christmas until midnight, despite Ukraine rejecting the truce offer.
War-scarred cities in eastern Ukraine saw no significant let-up in the fighting as AFP journalists in the town of Chasiv Yar south of the frontline city of Bakhmut heard heavy artillery fire throughout much of Saturday morning. Mikhail Razvozhaev, the Russian-backed governor of the city alleged that the incident had occurred in the early hours of January 7, which is Orthodox Christmas.
He stood alone as Orthodox priests in golden robes conducted a ceremony holding long candles, pictures released by the Kremlin showed. Hundreds of worshippers attended a historic service at the famed Kiev Pechersk Lavra monastery as Ukrainians marked Orthodox Christmas under the shadow of war. "For the first time, we will receive Bradley armoured vehicles — this is exactly what is needed," Zelenskyy said, thanking US President Joe Biden and the US Congress.
Vera Barda, 74, said the congregation had initially met in a tent after the church was hit during what Russia calls its special military operation in Ukraine.
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