Signs of fighting in Ukraine after Russia says unilateral truce in force

Artillery fire could be heard from the front lines in Ukraine on Friday, even after the official start of a unilateral ceasefire announced by Moscow and rejected by Kyiv.

Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a 36-hour ceasefire starting at noon on Friday to observe Orthodox Christmas. Kyiv has said it has no intention of ending the war, rejecting a ceasefire seen as a stunt by Moscow to buy time to reinforce troops that have suffered heavy losses this week.

Russia’s defense ministry said its forces began observing a ceasefire from noon Moscow time “along all contacts” in the conflict, but said Ukraine continued to attack populated areas and military positions.

The Russian Orthodox Church observes Christmas on January 7. The main Orthodox Church in Ukraine has rejected Moscow’s authority, and many Ukrainians believe they have moved the calendar to celebrate Christmas on December 25, as in the West.

Reuters could not immediately verify whether the intensity of fighting had slowed after the start of the ceasefire. One witness in the Russian-held regional capital of Donetsk, close to the front, described artillery firing from pro-Russian positions on the outskirts of the city after the ceasefire took effect.

Rocket attack

In the previous hours, a rocket slammed into a residential building in the Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk near the eastern front line, destroying 14 houses but causing no casualties, the mayor said. Residents described several explosions.

“It’s bad, very bad. We have to force it [Russian forces], ask them to leave, maybe more air defense system will help. This happens often, not only on festive occasions. Every other day,” Oleksandr, 36, said outside a supermarket at the time of the attack.

One rescue worker was killed and four others injured after Russian forces attacked a fire department in the southern city of Kherson ahead of a Friday deadline, the regional governor said. Reuters could not immediately verify this.

Putin ordered a 36-hour ceasefire in the 10-month war in a surprise move on Thursday, saying it would last until the end of Russian Orthodox Christmas on Saturday.

‘Christmas is a cover’

But Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed the ceasefire out of hand as a ploy for Russia to buy time.

“They now want to use Christmas as a cover, even for a moment, to stop the boys’ progress … and bring equipment, ammunition and mobilized troops closer to our positions,” Zelenskyy said in a video address Thursday night.

Shortly after the ceasefire was due to take effect, Russian-backed officials accused Ukraine of shelling Donetsk with artillery, Russia’s state-run TASS news agency said.

Denis Pushilin, the leader of Russia’s deployment in Donetsk, said on Thursday that Putin’s order only covered offensive operations and that his troops would return if fired.

Vladimir Saldo, the administrator of Ukraine’s Russia-embedded Kherson region, described the ceasefire as a “gesture of good intentions,” but said the situation on the front line would not change because of it.

Although warnings of airstrikes sounded in some areas, no major airstrikes were reported by Ukrainian officials after the ceasefire began.

The fighting had previously not intensified during the festive season and Russia launched a wave of airstrikes that hit infrastructure and injured residents in Kyiv during the New Year, typically a time of celebration in Ukraine and Russia.

Arms to Ukraine

This week, Ukraine’s Western allies finally announced a large shipment of armored fighting vehicles, which Kyiv has been asking for months to give it the upper hand in mechanized combat against Russian tanks at the front.

Germany says it will deliver its advanced Patriot anti-aircraft missile system and around 40 Marder infantry fighting vehicles within three months. Washington is also due on Friday to announce Bradley Fighting Vehicles as part of a new $2.8 billion US security package. France also announced a package of armored vehicles this week.

The Ukrainian military’s General Staff said its soldiers had repelled repeated Russian attacks over the past day, with Moscow’s focus on trying to recapture towns in Donetsk, including Bakhmut.

“The enemy has concentrated its main efforts in trying to establish control in the Donetsk region” without success, the General Staff said in a statement, adding that both Ukraine and Russia have launched several air strikes over the past day.

US President Joe Biden suggested Putin’s ceasefire offer was a sign of desperation.

“I think they’re trying to get oxygen,” he told reporters at the White House.