Russian President Vladimir Putin has celebrated the first Orthodox Christmas since his army invaded Ukraine on the Kremlin grounds. Photos and footage distributed by Russian state media on Saturday show the 70-year-old standing in the Annunciation Cathedral in the presence of sacristans.

Putin, who ordered the war of aggression against the neighboring country more than ten months ago, said according to a Kremlin statement: "This bright, beloved holiday inspires people to good deeds and endeavors and serves to promote spiritual values ​​​​and moral guidelines that are imperishable in society as affirming mercy, compassion, goodness and justice."

The Kremlin chief also thanked the Russian Orthodox Church for its role in society. Its influential leader, Patriarch Kirill, is considered an ardent supporter of the war against Ukraine, in which thousands of civilians have been killed and many more injured. Since the fall, the Russian army has also been targeting Ukraine's energy infrastructure, which is why many people are temporarily or permanently without heating, electricity and water supplies during the cold season.

Against this background, many observers see a unilateral Christmas ceasefire ordered by Putin as a cynical propaganda gesture. Officially, the Russian cease-fire was supposed to last until 10:00 p.m. CET on Saturday evening, but continued hostilities were reported. One of the hardest-fought areas is still around the city of Kreminna in the Luhansk region, according to the British Defense Ministry's daily briefing on Saturday. "For the past three weeks, fighting around Kreminna has concentrated on the densely forested area west of the city."

Since the forests offered some privacy from aerial observation, even in winter, both sides would likely have difficulty timing artillery fire accurately. As usual, infantrymen would be deployed in the forest areas - soldiers who primarily fight on foot and at close range.