Russia accused of ploy ceasefire as Ukrainians begin Christmas celebrations
There was supposed to be a brief ceasefire by Russian troops fighting in Ukraine today. It appears to have had little effect. Neil Connery reports
Despite the order, which was made by Russian President Vladimir Putin, air raid sirens still sounded across the Ukrainian capital, although no explosions were reported.
The 36-hour long ceasefire was made to coincide with the Orthodox Christmas, which is celebrated across both Ukraine and Russia.
Kyiv has not clarified whether its forces would join with the temporary peace, while Moscow didn’t say if its own troops would retaliate should Ukraine keep fighting.
Russia's ceasefire started at 12pm on Friday and is due to continue through to midnight (Moscow time) on Saturday.
Hours after the ceasefire started, Kyiv residents ventured out into a light dusting of snow to buy gifts, cakes and groceries for Christmas Eve family celebrations.
President Putin’s announcement that the Kremlin’s troops would stop fighting along the more than 1,000-kilometre (680-mile) front line and elsewhere was unexpected.
It came after the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, proposed a cease-fire for the Christmas holiday.
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The Orthodox Church, which uses the Julian calendar, celebrates Christmas on January 7.
But Ukrainian and Western officials portrayed the announcement as an attempt by President Putin to grab the moral high ground, while possibly seeking to snatch the battlefield initiative and rob the Ukrainians of momentum amid their counteroffensive of recent months.
"Now they want to use Christmas as a cover to stop the advance of our guys in the [eastern] Donbas [region] for a while and bring equipment, ammunition and mobilised people closer to our positions," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
In a Christmas Eve message to the nation, he called it "a holiday of harmony and family unity".
"And together we are all a big Ukrainian family," he added.
"No matter where we are now - at home, at work, in a trench, on the road, in Ukraine or abroad - our family is united as never before... United in its belief in a single victory."
US President Joe Biden has also expressed wariness about the Russian cease-fire, saying it was "interesting" that Putin was ready to bomb hospitals, nurseries and churches in recent weeks on Christmas and New Year’s.
"I think [Putin] is trying to find some oxygen," President Biden said.