Russian officials this Friday accused Ukraine of attacking the city of Donetsk during a unilateral ceasefire ordered by the Russian president on Orthodox Christmas Day.
Ukraine’s Joint Control and Coordination Center for War Crimes Issues (JCCC) said in a message posted on the Telegram network that the Russian-held town had been hit by artillery and “six 155-millimeter projectiles”, but did not provide information on possible victims.
A unilateral ceasefire called for by Patriarch Cyril of the Russian Orthodox Church, ordered by Vladimir Putin and rejected by Ukraine, took effect at 12:00 local time (09:00 in mainland Portugal).
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Putin of “using Christmas as a disguise” to block the advance of Ukrainian forces in the Donbass, using the opportunity to bring equipment and ammunition closer to their positions.
“They want to use Christmas as a cover to briefly halt the advance of our men in Donbas and bring equipment, ammunition and soldiers closer to our positions,” he said.
According to Vladimir Putin, the Russian military offensive to “denazify” and militarize Ukraine for Russia’s security was launched on February 24 last year.
The invasion was generally condemned by the international community, which responded by sending weapons to Ukraine and imposing political and economic sanctions on Russia.
The UN confirmed 6,919 civilian deaths and 11,075 wounded since the beginning of the war, underscoring that these numbers are far below the true numbers.
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