Ukraine war latest: Putin orders Russian army to observe 36-hour ceasefire
Vladimir Putin has ordered his forces to observe a 36-hour ceasefire over Russia/Ukraine’s Christmas period; listen to a Daily podcast special, in which a Ukrainian MP shares three wishes for 2023, while you scroll.
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Russia will cease fire in Ukraine on Orthodox Christmas – Kremlin View post
Soldiers who have returned to Russia told not to ‘rape or kill anyone’ View post
Belarus and Russia preparing joint air force exercises View post
Putin says talks can only happen if Ukraine accepts loss of territories View post
Analysis: Russia unable to use armed forces to achieve what it wishes on the battlefield – and new mobilisation may be imminent View post
Live reporting by Chris Lockyer. Updates from Neville Lazarus and Yousra Elbagir in Kyiv
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3h ago
17:37
The view in Mariupol
These photographs, taken today, show the continued destruction in Mariupol – one of the first areas of Ukraine to fall into Russian hands.
AP
AP
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4h ago
16:56
Satellite images reveal extensive damage to buildings in Bakhmut
These satellite images provided by the US space technology firm Maxar shows destroyed buildings and the extensive damage to infrastructures and fields in and near Bakhmut, in the eastern Donetsk region.
Last week, Ukraine’s deputy defence minister Hanna Maliar said that Russian forces were trying to encircle Bakhmut but without success.
The eastern town was once home to more than 70,000 civilians – now it has fewer than 12,000 residents in the region.
In recent months, the battle there has become one of the fiercest in the war so far, with residents forced to shelter underground and in freezing conditions.
Today, Donetsk governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said the ongoing intense battle for Bakhmut had left 60% of the region in ruins.
Pics: Maxar
Pics: Maxar
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4h ago
16:33
Ceasefire will ‘do nothing to advance prospects of peace’, Cleverly says
Following Vladimir Putin’s call for a 36-hour ceasefire in Ukraine, Foreign Secretary James Cleverly has said the move “will do nothing to advance the prospects for peace”.
He also said that Russia must “permanently withdraw its forces” and “relinquish its control of Ukrainian territory”.
Earlier, the Kremlin said Mr Putin had ordered a ceasefire from midday on Friday after a call for a Christmas truce by Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, head of the Russian Orthodox Church.
However, a senior Ukrainian official dismissed the 36-hour ceasefire proposal as hypocrisy, and said a “temporary truce” would be possible only when Russia leaves territory it is occupying in Ukraine.
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5h ago
16:28
Zelenskyy: Russia wants truce to halt our advances
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said today that Russia is seeking a truce to use as a cover to stop Ukrainian advances in the eastern Donbas region and bring in more men and equipment.
In his nightly address, the Ukrainian leader said: “They now want to use Christmas as a cover, albeit briefly, to stop the advances of our boys in the Donbas and bring equipment, ammunitions and mobilised troops closer to our positions.
“What will that give them? Only yet another increase in their total losses.”
Mr Zelenskyy went on to say the war “will end either when your soldiers leave or we throw them out”.
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5h ago
16:15
‘Significant scepticism’ around Putin’s ceasefire call – Pentagon
We reported earlier that President Vladimir Putin had instructed the Russian defence minister to cease fire in Ukraine over Orthodox Christmas.
The Russian military will observe a 36-hour ceasefire in Ukraine from noon on 6 January to midnight on 7 January.
In response, the Pentagon has said the world is deeply sceptical about Mr Putin’s call.
“I think that there’s significant scepticism both here in the US and around the world right now, given Russia’s long track record of propaganda, disinformation, and its relentless attacks against Ukrainian cities and civilians,” Pentagon spokesman Brigadier General Patrick Ryder told reporters.
“Our focus will continue to be on supporting Ukraine,” Mr Ryder added.
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7h ago
13:50
International response grows to Putin’s ceasefire request
US President Joe Biden has had his say on Russia’s demand for a Christmas ceasefire, saying Vladimir Putin was “trying to find some oxygen”.
Meanwhile, the United Nations said it would welcome any truce in Ukraine during Orthodox Christmas, but “this will not replace a just peace in line with the UN Charter and international law,” a spokesman said.
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8h ago
13:30
Photos show more destruction in Bakhmut – in the Donbas
More destruction below after a rocket attack on the Donbas region – which is occupied by Russian troops.
Bakhmut is key to its aim to “liberate” the rest of Donetsk province, Moscow says, which is one of four partially occupied regions it claims to have annexed.
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8h ago
13:10
‘We will gnaw at you in the singing silence of the Ukrainian night’ – defence official responds to Russian ceasefire request
Oleksiy Danilov, the secretary of the national security and defence council of Ukraine has added his response to the calls for a ceasefire, calling Russia “devils”.
On Twitter, he wrote (translated from Ukrainian): “What does a flock of small Kremlin… devils have to do with the Christian holiday of Christmas?
“Who will believe the abomination that kills children, shells maternity hospitals, tortures prisoners? Ceasefire? Lies and hypocrisy.
“We will gnaw at you in the singing silence of the Ukrainian night.”
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8h ago
12:47
Could the UK send tanks to Ukraine?
Tanks “may well be part” of future support for Ukraine, the foreign secretary has said.
When asked about what commitments the UK would make for Ukraine, James Cleverly said: “We have been providing the kind of military equipment that is able to put a decisive… punch against Russian targets at range.
“We will continue to speak with the Ukrainians about what they need for the next phase of their self-defence and we will continue working with our international partners about ensuring that we provide that.
“Tanks might well be part of that. Where they come from, which allies provide them, is something that of course we are working on in co-ordination with each other.”
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9h ago
12:20
What is Orthodox Christmas?
In Russia, Orthodox Christmas is considered a high holiday, after it was all but wiped out during Soviet rule.
It falls on 7 January, (in accordance with the Julian calendar used by the Russian Orthodox church) with the day before seeing those who celebrate attend long religious services, followed by a traditional feast of 12 courses.
Some may return to church to attend an all night vigil, and more services the next day.
Christmas is largely overshadowed by New Year in Russia, which seen as the major celebration there, but many will still want to observe the holiday.
Vladimir Putin wants Ukraine to observe a ceasefire to allow those stationed there to celebrate Christmas – something Kyiv has described as ‘hypocrisy’.
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9h ago
11:51
Germany plans ‘qualitative step’ in Ukraine arms delivery – report
Germany is planning a “qualitative step” in its delivery of weapons to Ukraine, German media has reported.
One newspaper reported the step could involve the supply of Marder fighting vehicles to combat Russian forces.
It comes after Germany faced fresh pressure to send more modern fighting vehicles to Ukraine after France’s decision to send light AMX-10 RC armoured combat vehicles.
On Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged Western allies to provide his army with tanks and heavy weapons to combat Vladimir Putin’s forces.
Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper reported that Germany’s step could involve the delivery of Marder fighting vehicles, citing government sources, with the decision said to have been made in close coordination with the United States and France.
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9h ago
11:34
Russia ‘unable to use armed forces to achieve what it wishes on the battlefield’
It appears that Russia is unable to use its armed forces to “achieve what it wishes to do on the battlefield”, retired RAF Air Marshal Edward Stringer has said.
Speaking about the situation in Ukraine, Stringer told Sky New that fighting was still centred around Bakhmut, in the Donetsk region, but the waves of Russian assaults there were “fewer”.
He said: “We see that the artillery support is getting less and less. And so that supports the analysis of both Ukrainian and Western intelligence agencies that the Russians have here largely culminated.”
Stringer went on to say that “behind the headlines” and according to Ukraine’s assessment, Russia had lost 800 troops yesterday.
“The Russians cannot sustain that,” he added.
“And that means that Putin really has to now think about mobilising and the Ukrainians assess that the Russians might start today with the next mobilisation.”
He added: “Behind the headlines this looks to me very much like Russia is unable to use its armed forces to achieve what it wishes to do on the battlefield.”
Speaking on the latest ceasefire called for by the Russian leader, Mr Stringer said Mr Putin had “cloaked himself in the robes of patriarch Kirill” of the Russian Orthodox Church.
He said: “The patriarch called for the ceasefire and Putin has given this to show he has some moral standing.
“I absolutely can see why it is viewed with great cynicism by the Ukrainians.”
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10h ago
11:18
Ukraine dismisses Russian truce proposal as ‘hypocrisy’
A senior Ukrainian official has dismissed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s 36-hour ceasefire proposal today as hypocrisy.
Mykhailo Podolyak wrote on Twitter that a “temporary truce” would be possible only when Russia leaves territory it is occupying in Ukraine.
“The Russian Federation must leave the occupied territories – only then will it have a ‘temporary truce’. Keep hypocrisy to yourself,” the presidential adviser said.
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10h ago
10:54
Germany faces new calls to send modern tanks to Ukraine
France’s decision to send light AMX-10 RC armoured combat vehicles to Ukraine has sparked fresh calls from within German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s coalition for Berlin to send more modern fighting vehicles to help in the war against Russia.
Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, the head of the parliamentary defence committee and a member of Mr Scholz’s junior coalition partner Free Democrats (FDP), has urged Berlin to send Marder infantry fighting vehicles and train Ukrainians to use them.
Sara Nanni, the security policy spokesperson from the Greens party, another coalition partner, also said Germany should send Marders and Leopard tanks as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues.
Andreas Schwarz, a security-focused lawmaker from Mr Scholz’s own Social Democrats party, told Spiegel magazine that the government should “seize the initiative” after French President Emmanuel Macron’s decision
Mr Scholz has ramped up defence spending and sent aid and weapons to Ukraine since Russia invaded on 24 February, and has also made it clear that he did not want to go it alone on sending heavy weapons to Ukraine and that he would coordinate deliveries with other members of the NATO alliance.
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11h ago
10:25
Russia will cease fire in Ukraine on Orthodox Christmas – Kremlin
Russian President Vladimir Putin has instructed the Russian defence minister to cease fire in Ukraine over Orthodox Christmas, the Kremlin said today.
The Russian military will observe a 36-hour cease-fire in Ukraine from noon on 6 January to midnight on 7 January.
Many Orthodox Christians, including those living in Russia and Ukraine, celebrate Christmas on 6 to 7 January.
An official statement from the Kremlin posted on the Telegram app read: “Instructions of the President of the Russian Federation to the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation
“Taking into account the appeal of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill, I instruct the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation to introduce from 12:00 January 6, 2023 until 24:00 January 7, 2023, a ceasefire along the entire line of contact between the parties in Ukraine.
“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.”
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11h ago
10:13
Ukraine rules out any deal allowing Russia to keep seized territory
A senior Ukrainian official has today reiterated Kyiv’s rejection of any peace deal with Moscow that would allow Russia to keep Ukrainian territory seized by Vladimir Putin’s forces.
The Russian president told Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan earlier that Moscow was open to dialogue over Ukraine but that Kyiv would have to accept the loss of territories claimed by Russia, the Kremlin said.
“Axiom: why will it be impossible to make a deal with the Russian Federation?” Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak wrote on Twitter.
“The Russian Federation (Putin) under the word ‘talks’ offers Ukraine & the world to recognize ‘its right to seize foreign territories’ & ‘to fix the absence of legal consequences for mass killings on foreign territory’. It’s fully unacceptable.”
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11h ago
09:50
Battle for eastern Ukraine not expected to end soon, says senior US official
A senior US administration official has predicted the intense fighting in eastern Ukraine will continue for months to come.
“The fighting is still quite hot (in Donetsk)… what we’re seeing in Bakhmut we should expect to see elsewhere along the front, that there will be continued fighting in the coming months,” the anonymous official said.
The Donetsk city of Bakhmut is now mostly in ruins, having been battered by Russian artillery for months.
Fighting there has been particularly tough and it has been referred to as a “meat grinder”.
Russia’s leadership has focused heavily on Bakhmut as it is located on a strategic supply line between the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk.
If Russia gains control of the city, it could use it as a stepping stone to advance towards the larger cities of Kramatorsk and Sloviansk.
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11h ago
09:33
Does a social media video signal Belarus could be preparing for mobilisation?
Yesterday, a video emerged on Twitter showing an announcement at a Belarusian bus station urging men between 18 and 60 to visit an enlistment office to “clarify their data”.
The footage sparked speculation that Belarus could be planning to send its troops into Ukraine for the first time.
But Hanna Liubakova, the journalist from Minsk who shared the video, said there is no sign of the “beginning of real mobilisation” just yet.
Still, she says the possibility cannot be ruled out.
“The announcement at a bus station is new yet it looks like another way of dragging people to enlistment offices,” Ms Liubakova, a non-resident fellow at the Atlantic Council thinktank, told Newsweek.
In October, the Belarusian Defence Ministry said an annual check of the credentials of those liable for military service would be completed by the end of the year – although it said there were no plans for mobilisation.
Ms Liubakova said that in December, “propaganda and various ads appeared with posters and videos calling for men to turn up to enlistment offices for the checkups” – suggesting the process was extended.
“It can be interpreted as potential preparation for future mobilisation,” she said.
“However, today there are no signs of the beginning of real mobilisation in Belarus, although we can’t exclude such a scenario.”
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12h ago
09:15
Ukrainian counteroffensive in eastern region will be ‘difficult’, admits official
The eastern Ukrainian region of Luhansk – one half of the wider Donbas region – is almost entirely under Russian control.
Despite successful Ukrainian counteroffensives in Kharkiv and Kherson, a local official has admitted it will not be easy to make similar gains in Luhansk.
Regional governor Serhiy Haidai said the cities of Rubizhne and Severodonetsk had been destroyed by Russian occupation forces and could no longer be used as strongholds.
“But we should not forget that there is also the defence line, which they [Russian proxies] have been building since 2014 – the occupiers have very fortified positions there,” he said.
“Therefore, it will not be easy to liberate the Luhansk region.”
He added that Russia was sending in extra troops, including conscripts.
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12h ago
08:46
Belarus and Russia preparing joint air force exercises
The two countries are continuing to build up a joint military grouping in Belarus, according to the Belarusian Defence Ministry.
In the latest show of cooperation, it said Russia and Belarus would be carrying out joint air force exercises soon.
The ministry said that the goal of creating such joint force was “strengthening the protection and defence of the Union State [of Russia and Belarus]”.
“Personnel, weapons, military and special equipment of the armed forces of the Russian Federation will continue to arrive in the Republic of Belarus,” the statement said.
The tactical air force drills are part of a plan to “increase the level of combat training of aviation units”, the ministry added.
It did not mention when the upcoming exercises would be.
For context: Ukrainian officials have warned of the potential for Belarus to directly join the war by sending in troops, but Western analysts have assessed the risk is still relatively low.
There is also the possibility that Russian forces could launch a renewed offensive from Belarusian territory – leading Ukrainian border towns to start preparing their defences.
Joining the invasion would be unpopular among the Belarusian public, but Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko is personally indebted to Vladimir Putin.
When Mr Lukashenko’s premiership was under threat during protests in 2020, Russia stepped in to help out.
