State Media Says Ceasefire In Force, Zelenskyy Rejects Notion

Wires reporting that Russian state media saying that a ceasefire has come into force along the entire front in Ukraine following an order from President Vladimir Putin to halt hostilities for 36 hours over Russian Orthodox Christmas.

• Last night, Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskyy rejected the call for a ceasefire, stating in a televised address that, "Now they want to use Christmas as a cover to … stop the advance of our guys in Donbas and bring equipment, ammunition and mobilized men closer to our positions. What will this bring? Just another increase in the death toll.”
• US President Joe Biden also rejected the idea of a Christmas truce, stating that Putin was “trying to find some oxygen” amid stubborn Ukrainian resistance and his own severely depleted military forces.
• From the Russian side, at least, the ceasefire is supposed to continue until midnight on 7 Jan. Remains to be seen whether Russian forces hold off until then, with it looking likely that Ukrainian military will not halt its efforts to reclaim occupied territories.