Moscow insisted Saturday its military was observing a ceasefire in Ukraine to mark Orthodox Christmas regardless of artillery assaults by Kyiv troops.

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“Regardless of the shelling of the armed forces of Ukraine of settlements and Russian positions, the implementation of the declared ceasefire might be continued,” the Russian defence ministry stated in a press release.

The assertion nevertheless added that over the previous 24 hours Russian forces repelled numerous assaults by the Ukrainian military in jap Ukraine and killed dozens of its troops.

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AFP journalists within the city of Chasiv Yar south of the frontline metropolis of Bakhmut on Saturday heard heavy artillery fireplace for a lot of Saturday morning.

On Saturday, the overall workers of Ukraine’s armed forces stated that Russia launched one missile strike and fired 20 rounds from a number of rocket launchers over the previous 24 hours.

Russian President Vladimir Putin had unilaterally ordered his forces to pause assaults for 36 hours for the Orthodox Christmas.

Ukraine has dismissed the halt — as a result of final till the top of Saturday (2100 GMT) — as a tactic by Russia to realize time to regroup its forces and bolster its defences following a collection of battlefield setbacks.

Orthodox Christians observe Christmas on January 7.