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2023 Russian Christmas truce proposal
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2023 Russian Christmas truce proposal
On 5 January 2023, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, head of the Russian Orthodox Church, called on both sides of the Russian invasion of Ukraine for an Eastern Orthodox Christmas truce. On the evening of the same day, Russian president Vladimir Putin instructed Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu to declare a 36-hour temporary ceasefire along the entire line of contact between Russian and Ukrainian troops from midday (12:00 Moscow Time; 09:00 UTC) on 6 January to midnight (24:00/00:00 Moscow Time; 21:00 UTC) on 7 to 8 January 2023.
The truce proposal was rejected by the Ukrainian authorities, who called it a "cynical trap". Despite the ceasefire being declared, it had little effect as fighting persisted.
The Wagner Group (about 10% of Russia's total forces in Ukraine at the time) did not commit to the ceasefire and was not ordered to observe it (it was not a part of the Russian Defense Ministry).
Russians and Ukrainians, who are mostly Eastern Orthodox Christians, celebrate Christmas on 6–7 January. However, following the Russian invasion, an increasingly high number of Ukrainians have begun celebrating Christmas on 25 December instead.
Patriarch Kirill of Moscow often talks about the war in his sermons, justifying the invasion, qualifying it as "infighting", and calling the Russian Orthodox believers towards "spiritual mobilization". These statements finally pushed the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) to declare independence from the Moscow Patriarchy. In June 2022, both the UK and Canada added Patriarch Kirill to their sanction lists.
Following the proposal of Patriarch Kirill, Russian president Vladimir Putin instructed the Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu to declare a temporary ceasefire along the entire line of contact between Russian and Ukrainian troops in connection with Eastern Orthodox Christmas. According to the announcement, the ceasefire will be in effect from noon on 6 January until midnight on 7 January. "Given that a large number of Orthodox citizens live in combat zones, we call on the Ukrainian side to declare a ceasefire and give them the chance to attend a service on Christmas Eve, as well as on Christmas", read Putin's statement. The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that it will fulfill Putin's order to introduce a ceasefire for Christmas.
The Wagner Group, not being subject to the Russian Defense Ministry, didn’t have to observe and did not commit to the ceasefire. At the time some 20,000 Wagner Group military personnel was believed to be fighting for Russia in Ukraine (about 10% of Russia's total forces in Ukraine at the time).
Reuters reported that 14 homes in a residential building in Kramatorsk were damaged by Russian shelling shortly before the ceasefire was set to commence. The BBC implied the Kramatorsk attack occurred after the ceasefire was to begin.
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2023 Russian Christmas truce proposal
On 5 January 2023, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, head of the Russian Orthodox Church, called on both sides of the Russian invasion of Ukraine for an Eastern Orthodox Christmas truce. On the evening of the same day, Russian president Vladimir Putin instructed Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu to declare a 36-hour temporary ceasefire along the entire line of contact between Russian and Ukrainian troops from midday (12:00 Moscow Time; 09:00 UTC) on 6 January to midnight (24:00/00:00 Moscow Time; 21:00 UTC) on 7 to 8 January 2023.
The truce proposal was rejected by the Ukrainian authorities, who called it a "cynical trap". Despite the ceasefire being declared, it had little effect as fighting persisted.
The Wagner Group (about 10% of Russia's total forces in Ukraine at the time) did not commit to the ceasefire and was not ordered to observe it (it was not a part of the Russian Defense Ministry).
Russians and Ukrainians, who are mostly Eastern Orthodox Christians, celebrate Christmas on 6–7 January. However, following the Russian invasion, an increasingly high number of Ukrainians have begun celebrating Christmas on 25 December instead.
Patriarch Kirill of Moscow often talks about the war in his sermons, justifying the invasion, qualifying it as "infighting", and calling the Russian Orthodox believers towards "spiritual mobilization". These statements finally pushed the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) to declare independence from the Moscow Patriarchy. In June 2022, both the UK and Canada added Patriarch Kirill to their sanction lists.
Following the proposal of Patriarch Kirill, Russian president Vladimir Putin instructed the Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu to declare a temporary ceasefire along the entire line of contact between Russian and Ukrainian troops in connection with Eastern Orthodox Christmas. According to the announcement, the ceasefire will be in effect from noon on 6 January until midnight on 7 January. "Given that a large number of Orthodox citizens live in combat zones, we call on the Ukrainian side to declare a ceasefire and give them the chance to attend a service on Christmas Eve, as well as on Christmas", read Putin's statement. The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that it will fulfill Putin's order to introduce a ceasefire for Christmas.
The Wagner Group, not being subject to the Russian Defense Ministry, didn’t have to observe and did not commit to the ceasefire. At the time some 20,000 Wagner Group military personnel was believed to be fighting for Russia in Ukraine (about 10% of Russia's total forces in Ukraine at the time).
Reuters reported that 14 homes in a residential building in Kramatorsk were damaged by Russian shelling shortly before the ceasefire was set to commence. The BBC implied the Kramatorsk attack occurred after the ceasefire was to begin.