Putin’s order to stop fighting for 36 hours during the Orthodox Christmas came after Moscow suffered its worst reported loss of life of the war and as Ukraine’s allies pledged to send armoured vehicles and a second Patriot air defence battery to aid Kyiv.
A senior Ukraine official said shortly after the supposed start of Russia’s pause in fighting that Moscow’s forces had struck the southern city of Kherson in an attack that left several people dead or wounded.
“There were at least four explosions … They talk about a ceasefire. This is who we are at war with,” said Kyrylo Tymoshenko, the deputy head of the presidential administration.
He did not say whether the strikes themselves had occurred before or after the ceasefire’s start time.
Both countries celebrate Orthodox Christmas and the Russian leader’s order came following ceasefire calls from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russia’s spiritual leader Patriarch Kirill, a staunch Putin supporter.
