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(ANSA-afp) - MOSCOW, 07 GEN - Moscow insisted Saturday its
army was observing a ceasefire in Ukraine to mark Orthodox
Christmas despite artillery attacks by Kyiv troops. "Despite the
shelling of the armed forces of Ukraine of settlements and
Russian positions, the implementation of the declared ceasefire
will be continued," the Russian defence ministry said in a
statement. The statement however added that over the past 24
hours Russian forces repelled a number of attacks by the
Ukrainian army in eastern Ukraine and killed dozens of its
troops. AFP journalists in the town of Chasiv Yar south of the
frontline city of Bakhmut on Saturday heard heavy artillery fire
for much of Saturday morning. On Saturday, the general staff of
Ukraine's armed forces said that Russia launched one missile
strike and fired 20 rounds from multiple rocket launchers over
the past 24 hours. Russian President Vladimir Putin had
unilaterally ordered his forces to pause attacks for 36 hours
for the Orthodox Christmas. Ukraine has dismissed the halt --
due to last until the end of Saturday (2100 GMT) -- as a tactic
by Russia to gain time to regroup its forces and bolster its
defences following a series of battlefield setbacks. Orthodox
Christians observe Christmas on January 7. (ANSA-afp).
