Russian President Vladimir Putin has instructed the defense minister to introduce a ceasefire along the whole contact line in Ukraine from 12:00, January 6 to 24:00, January 7, the Kremlin website reported.
Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and all Russia earlier urged Christmas ceasefire “so that the orthodox believers can attend church services on Christmas eve and on Christmas day.”
The Russian president called upon Ukraine to similarly announce a ceasefire to give the opportunity to many Orthodox Christians living in zones of fighting to attend church services on these days.
The Ukrainian government launched the so-called anti-terrorist operation against Donbass in April 2014. The peace talks that began soon thereafter failed to reach tangible results due to Kiev’s position to settle the conflict by force.
On February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a special military operation to protect Donbass residents from Ukrainian aggression. Prior to that, LPR and DPR Heads Leonid Pasechnik and Denis Pushilin asked the Russian leader to provide military assistance. The LPR militia and Russian armed forces fully liberated the LPR territory from Ukrainian armed formations on July 3.
The Lugansk People’s Republic acceded to Russia on September 30, 2022 following the unification referendum.*i*ie
