Ukraine reports fresh strikes as Putin's unilateral ceasefire starts

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The deputy head of Ukraine's presidential administration said that the city of Kramatorsk, which is in eastern Ukraine, reported fresh Russian strikes on Friday (January 6). The reported strikes came after the supposed start of a unilateral Russian ceasefire.

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Kyrylo Tymoshenko said on social media that the "occupiers hit the city with rockets twice". Tymoshenko further added that a residential building had been hit but there were no victims.

The news agency AFP also reported that their journalists heard both outgoing and incoming shelling in the frontline city of Bakhmut, which is in eastern Ukraine.

As per the agency report, the artillery fire was lighter than it has been in recent days. The streets of the impacted region were mostly empty because of the previous bombings. Some military vehicles were said to be present.

Meanwhile, the Russian news agency TASS reported that Ukraine shelled Donetsk exactly when the ceasefire came into effect. The Donetsk People's Republic's (DPR) mission to the Joint Control and Coordination Center on issues related to Ukraine's war crimes (JCCC) reported on Friday that the fire came from 155 mm NATO artillery guns.

On its Telegram channel, the mission said, "Six shells of 155 mm caliber were fired."

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Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday a temporary ceasefire during Orthodox Christmas. It was supposed to have taken effect in Ukraine at 0900 GMT on Friday.

However, Ukraine dismissed the ceasefire and told Russia to keep the "hypocrisy to yourself". Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said that Russia "must leave the occupied territories - only then will it have a 'temporary truce'".

Earlier, Ukraine several times dismissed rumours regarding the ceasefire, terming it as a strategy by Russia to gain time to regroup its forces and bolster its defences.

After Putin's recent order, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the unilateral ceasefire "cannot and should not be taken seriously".

United States President Joe Biden was also equally dismissive. He said, "He was ready to bomb hospitals and nurseries and churches" on December 25 and on New Year's Day".

"I think he's trying to find some oxygen," Biden added.

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