Donetsk, Jan 5 — DAN. Russian President Vladimir Putin has instructed the Defense Ministry to introduce a ceasefire in the special military operation zone starting at noon on Friday and lasting to the end of Saturday, the Kremlin website reported.

“Taking into account the appeal by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill, I instruct the defense minister of the Russian Federation to introduce a ceasefire along the whole contact line in Ukraine from 12:00, January 6, 2023 to 24:00, January 7, 2023, ” the report said.

Putin called upon Ukraine to cease fire as well, in order to give the opportunity to Orthodox citizens living in zones of fighting, to attend divine services on Christmas eve and Christmas day.*jk