Hours after Russian shelling damages Ukrainian hospital, Moscow says ceasefire has begun
The Russian Defense Ministry said during its daily briefing on Friday that Russian troops are observing the ceasefire that was ordered the previous day by Vladimir Putin.
“In accordance with the Russian president’s instructions and the defense minister’s directive, a ceasefire has been declared among the joint grouping of Russian forces in the special military operation zone from noon on January 6 until midnight on January 7 along the entire contact line in Ukraine,” read the statement.
The ministry also pointed out that the Ukrainian military has continued firing artillery at Russian troops.
Soon after Russia’s ceasefire went into effect, air raid alerts were declared on all Ukrainian territory. According to UNIAN, this was in response to two fighter jets and a Russian A-50 early warning and control aircraft that were seen taking off on Belarusian territory.
In addition, just hours before the start of the ceasefire, Russian troops carried out shelling attacks on the Ukrainian cities of Kramatorsk and Kurakhove. According to Deputy Head of the Ukrainian President's Office Kyrylo Tymoshenko, multiple residential buildings and a city hospital were damaged, and at least one hospital worker was injured.
