Russia announces temporary ceasefire for Orthodox Christmas

Russian President Vladimir Putin instructed his forces to implement a temporary ceasefire in Ukraine later this week to coincide with the Russian and Ukrainian Orthodox celebration of Christmas. “Taking into account the appeal of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill, I instruct the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation to introduce a ceasefire regime along the entire line of contact between the parties in Ukraine from 12:00 on January 6 to 24:00 on January 7,” a statement from the Kremlin released on Thursday said. "Based on the fact that a large number of citizens professing Orthodoxy live in the combat areas, we call on the Ukrainian side to declare a ceasefire and give them the opportunity to attend services on Christmas Eve, as well as on the Day of the Nativity of Christ." Read the full story here: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/defense-national-security/russia-announces-temporary-ceasefire-christmas Check out our website: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/