War in Ukraine: “Christmas truce”, the request of Patriarch Kirill that Putin accepted amidst the bombing

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday ordered his army to apply a ceasefire this Friday and Saturdayin the war in Ukraine, for Orthodox Christmas at the request of Patriarch Kirill, the Kremlin reported.

“Keep in consideration the call of his holiness Patriarch Kirill, I have instructed the Minister of Defense to order a ceasefire regime on the entire line of contact between the parties in Ukraine starting at 12:00 (3:00 in Argentina) on January 6 this year and until at midnight on January 7,” the Kremlin said in a statement.

The 36-hour ceasefire across the front line responds to the fact that in the area there is a large number of Orthodox faithful they will want to go to temples.

Kirill’s request

According to the note from the Russian Presidency, the decision of the head of state responds to the appeal of the Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church, Kiril, to establish a Christmas truce, which Orthodox believers They celebrate January 7th.

“Since a large number of Orthodox citizens live in the area of ​​military actions, we ask the Ukrainian side to declare a ceasefire regime to allow him to go to the temples on Christmas Eve and on Christmas Day”, reads the official statement.

Hours earlier, Kiril had called a truce so the faithful could celebrate Christmas.

The Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church (IOR), is a fundamental pillar and a staunch defender of the system created by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“I, Kirill, Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia, call on all parties involved in this internal conflict to cease fire and establish a Christmas truce,” he said in his appeal posted on the IOR website.

The truce proposed by the religious leader so that the believers can go to temples on Christmas Eve and Christmas It was supposed to go into effect on Friday at 12:00 Moscow time and would last until 24:00 on the 7th, the same term as the ceasefire ordered by Putin.

First time

and the first time that the Russian president has ordered a ceasefire on all fronts since he launched his military campaign in Ukraine on February 24 with the aim of “denazifying and demilitarizing” the neighboring country.

Kirill’s appeal it was not well received in Kiev: “The IOR press release on a ‘Christmas truce’ it is a cynical trap and an element of propaganda,” Ukrainian presidential adviser Mikhailo Podolyak wrote on Twitter.

It should be noted that Russia bombed relentlessly on Christmas Eve, Christmas and New Years in Ukrainian cities, leaving many without electricity and killing civilians.

At the New Year’s Eve dinner, in turn, Kiev launched a barrage of missiles on a Russian military base, where newly mobilized recruits were stationed, killing dozens of soldiers.

The attack on Donetsk’s Makiivka base with six missiles has prompted angry complaints in Russia against the military command, believing it was negligent in herding so many troops in one place (Kyiv said 400 soldiers died. Moscow says who died 63), in the same place where, moreover ammunition was stored.

Officially, Moscow has accused its soldiers of using cell phones that are easily traceable by Ukrainians.

The attack occurred while the conscripts were having dinner.

Agencies

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