As a supposedly pious gesture in his godless war of aggression against Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin has declared a temporary ceasefire. But even at Christmas, the guns were not silent.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy said it straight away, but he says it again. “The world could see once again how wrong statements from Moscow are at every level,” he said on Saturday evening.
Moscow, meaning the Russian president and his power apparatus, had imposed a 36-hour ceasefire for the Orthodox Christmas celebrations as a supposedly pious gesture in its godless war of aggression against Ukraine. Practically nobody believed that, not even Zelenskyy. “They said something about an alleged ceasefire, but the reality is that Russian shells have again hit Bakhmut and other Ukrainian positions.” The Kremlin’s statements: “mendacious,” says the Ukrainian president.
In fact, there could be no question of a ceasefire. Fighting ensued when guns should be silent. Moscow itself has admitted this, arguing that it is only responding to attacks by Ukraine. The information cannot be independently verified. Either way: Russia is the aggressor, and doubts about the Russian account are repeatedly justified.
Reports of several attacks by Russia
Russian troops continued the war “at a routine level” . One of the fiercest battles raged in the city of Kreminna in the Luhansk region, where the conflict had meanwhile shifted to “heavily forested terrain”. As a result, both sides would have “most likely difficulties in stopping the artillery fire”: In the forest areas, infantrymen would usually be deployed – soldiers who would primarily fight on foot and at “close range”.
The “Kyiv Independent” reported on several attacks by Russia during the supposed ceasefire, :
- : Artillery shelling in the south of Cherson on a fire station. One firefighter dies and four are injured, local authorities said.
- : Rocket attack on Merefa commune near Kharkiv, injuring one person, oblast governor says. Russian forces are also attacking the outskirts of Zaporizhia, the city’s mayor reports. The eastern Ukrainian city of Chasiv Yar was also exposed to heavy artillery fire throughout Saturday morning, according to local AFP journalists.
Shortly after the official end of the declared ceasefire, the authorities in the region around the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv reported several explosions. Air alert was also declared in the areas of Poltava, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhia, Luhansk and on the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea, which was annexed by Russia.
According to Ukrainian information, are subject to Russian shelling during the Christmas period. For Kyiv, this should be more evidence that the Russian ceasefire was a diversionary maneuver and a cynical propaganda gesture. There, the “armistice” was rejected from the outset.
Vladimir Putin and the “good deeds”
The renowned (ISW) already suspected on Thursday, when President Putin announced the temporary ceasefire, a hypocritical maneuver from Moscow that was “probably intended to damage Ukraine’s reputation”.
Noting that Putin “reasonably cannot expect Ukraine to honor the terms of this suddenly declared ceasefire, (he) may have called for the ceasefire to portray Ukraine as unaccommodating and unwilling to take the necessary steps towards negotiations.” undertake,” wrote the experts in their assessment of the situation.
In addition, it takes time to organize and implement ceasefires – at least more than 24 hours, according to the ISW. US President Joe Biden was also skeptical when Putin announced the ceasefire shortly before. “I think he’s just trying to get some air”, .
As Russia continued its hostilities in Ukraine, the Russian President presented himself as devout and in front of a reverent crowd. Photos and footage distributed by Russian state media on Saturday show Putin celebrating Orthodox Christmas only in the presence of sacristans in the Cathedral of the Annunciation on the Kremlin grounds.
Putin, who more than ten months ago ordered the war of aggression against the neighboring country, said according to a Kremlin statement: “This bright, beloved holiday inspires people to good deeds and endeavors and serves to promote spiritual values and moral guidelines that are imperishable in society as affirming mercy, compassion, goodness and justice.”
The Kremlin chief also thanked the Russian Orthodox Church for its role in society. Its leader, Patriarch Kyrill, is considered a fervent supporter of the Russian campaign, which has already claimed the lives of thousands of civilians. There are more every day, the alleged ceasefire has obviously not changed anything.
Sources: , , , with material from the news agencies DPA and AFP
Source: Stern
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