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Putin orders ceasefire in Ukraine during Orthodox Christmas
Bystanders look at a crater next to an educational building in Kyiv on January 1, 2023, which was damaged by a strike the previous day, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Genya SAVILOV / AFP)
Russian President Vladimir Putin orders a temporary ceasefire in Ukraine on the eve of Orthodox Christmas following a request from Russia’s spiritual leader Patriarch Kirill, according to the Kremlin.
“Taking into account the appeal of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill, I instruct the defense 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 says in a statement.
