Fighting unabated in Ukraine as Russia's Orthodox Christmas truce comes into force - Reuters.com

KYIV/BAKHMUT, Ukraine, Jan 6 (Reuters) - Russia and Ukraine attacked each others positions successful eastbound Ukraine connected Friday with nary motion they would observe a 36-hour ceasefire unilaterally ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin astatine abbreviated announcement to people Orthodox Christmas successful the region.

On Friday greeting - Christmas Eve for Russians and galore Ukrainians - Russian shells deed Kramatorsk, a Ukrainian metropolis adjacent the frontline successful the concern Donetsk portion that Russia claims arsenic its territory, the metropolis politician said.

"Kramatorsk is nether fire. Stay successful shelters," politician Oleksandr Honcharenko posted connected societal media. He did not springiness details of damage.

The Kremlin had ordered the truce to statesman astatine 1200, without specifying what clip portion they were referring to. In Moscow, that would beryllium 0900 GMT.

Russia invaded Ukraine connected Feb. 24, 2022, starting a warfare that has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced millions and reduced cities to rubble. Ukraine has driven Russia backmost from immoderate of its territory but battles are raging implicit eastbound and confederate cities, and Russia has unleashed barrages of airstrikes connected civilian infrastructure.

In a surprise, past infinitesimal announcement connected Thursday, Putin unilaterally ordered his troops to observe a ceasefire from Friday to tally done the Russian Orthodox Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, a determination that was rejected arsenic a instrumentality by Ukraine and its allies.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy rejected the thought retired of hand, saying the extremity was to halt the advancement of Ukraine's forces successful Donetsk and the wider eastbound Donbas portion and bring successful much of Moscow's forces.

"They present privation to usage Christmas arsenic a cover, albeit briefly, to halt the advances of our boys successful Donbas and bring equipment, ammunitions and mobilised troops person to our positions," Zelenskiy said successful his Thursday nighttime video address.

"What volition that springiness them? Only yet different summation successful their full losses."

Ukraine's subject General Staff said its soldiers repelled aggregate Russian attacks implicit the past day, with Moscow focused connected trying to instrumentality towns successful Donetsk, including Bakhmut, which has seen the heaviest battles successful caller weeks.

"The force is concentrating its main efforts connected attempts to found power implicit the Donetsk region" without success, the General Staff said successful a statement, adding that some Ukraine and Russia had launched aggregate airstrikes implicit the past day.

Reuters could not independently verify the latest battlefield accounts.

U.S. President Joe Biden suggested Putin's ceasefire connection was a motion of desperation. "I deliberation he's trying to find immoderate oxygen," helium told reporters astatine the White House.

Russia's ambassador successful Washington, Anatoly Antonov, responded connected Facebook saying: "Washington is acceptable connected warring with america 'to the past Ukrainian'."

Russia's Orthodox Church observes Christmas connected Jan. 7. Ukraine's main Orthodox Church has been recognised arsenic autarkic by the religion hierarchy since 2019 and rejects immoderate conception of allegiance to the Moscow patriarch. Many Ukrainian believers person shifted their calendar to observe Christmas connected Dec. 25 arsenic successful the West.

Zelenskiy, pointedly speaking successful Russian and not Ukrainian, said that ending the warfare meant "ending your country's aggression ... And the warfare volition extremity either erstwhile your soldiers permission oregon we propulsion them out."

Dmitry Polyansky, caput of Russia's imperishable ngo to the United Nations, wrote connected Twitter that Ukraine's absorption was "one much reminder with whom we are warring successful #Ukraine - ruthless nationalist criminals who ... person nary respect for ineffable things".

Reporting by Reuters bureuax; penning by Frank Jack Daniel; Editing by Angus MacSwan

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.