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Russia’s Defense Ministry said on Saturday its forces in Ukraine would maintain a unilaterally declared ceasefire to observe Orthodox Christmas until midnight, even as Ukraine rejected a cease-fire offer.
In its daily briefing, the ministry said its forces only returned artillery fire when fired upon by Ukrainian forces, who are accused of attacking civilian areas, something Kyiv often accuses Russian forces of doing.
Exchanges of artillery fire were reported in Kreminna and Bakhmut in Eastern Ukraine after Moscow initially ordered its troops to maintain a unilateral ceasefire from Friday until the end of Saturday.
Ukraine dismissed Moscow’s ceasefire offer as a cynical ploy designed to give Russian forces a chance to rest and re-arm and said it would continue to try to retake Moscow-held territory.
President Vladimir Putin on Saturday praised the Russian Orthodox Church for supporting Moscow’s forces fighting in Ukraine in an Orthodox Christmas message.
The Kremlin released Putin’s message after the Russian leader attended his own Orthodox Christmas service at the Kremlin cathedral instead of joining other worshipers in public celebrations.
In the message, accompanied on the Kremlin’s website by a picture of him standing in front of a religious icon, Putin explained that he sees the Russian Orthodox Church as an important stabilizing force for society at a time of historic conflict between Russians and Russians. West over Ukraine and other issues.
“It is very gratifying to note the enormous contribution of the Russian Orthodox Church and other Christian denominations in unifying society, preserving the memory of our history, educating youth and strengthening family institutions,” Putin said.
“The priority church organization … supports our soldiers who are engaged in special military operations [in Ukraine]. Such a huge, complex and selfless work deserves our sincere respect.”
On Friday, Putin ordered a 36-hour ceasefire for the celebrations, but Kyiv dismissed it as a ploy by Moscow to buy time and regroup, and Russian and Ukrainian forces exchanged artillery fire after the announcement.
Just before the ceasefire began, rockets hit residential buildings in the Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk near the eastern front line, destroying 14 houses, but causing no casualties as many people fled.
Attacks continue from both sides of the Russia-Ukraine conflict after the start of a 36-hour ceasefire proposed by the Kremlin.
Many Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas on January 7, but the Russian Orthodox Church’s support for Moscow’s war in Ukraine has angered many Ukrainian Orthodox Christians and split Orthodox Churches around the world.
Of the 260 million Orthodox Christians in the world, about 100 million are in Russia itself, and some abroad are united with Moscow.
But others are strongly opposed, and reject Moscow’s claim that the invasion of February 24 last year was a pre-emptive strike necessary to defend its own security and that of Russian speakers in Ukraine.
Ukraine has about 30 million Orthodox adherents, divided between the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate and two other Orthodox Churches – one of which is the autocephalous, or independent, Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
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