UN discontinues investigation into Ukraine prison attack

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has disbanded a fact-finding mission into an attack that took place in front line Ukrainian town of Olenivka, said UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric on Thursday (January 5). This attack, which took place in the month of July killed prisoners held by Moscow-backed separatists. The fact-finding mission has been disbanded because the UN mission cannot deploy to the site. The investigation into the attack was requested by both, Russia and Ukraine. Secretary-General Guterres had announced the investigation in August last year.

On Thursday, Guterres also commented on a possible ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. He said he would welcome any truce in Ukraine during Orthodox Christmas “knowing that this will not replace a just peace in line with the U.N. Charter and international law,” according to Dujarric.

On Thursday, Kremlin said that Russian President Vladimir Putin had ordered a ceasefire on January 6 and 7.

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The Kremlin said in a statement: "Taking into account the appeal of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill, I (Putin) instruct the defence minister of the Russian Federation to introduce from 12:00 (0900 GMT) on January 6, 2023 until 24:00 (2100 GMT) on January 7, 2023 a ceasefire along the entire line of contact between the sides in Ukraine."

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In the order, Putin said that "proceeding from the fact that a large number of citizens professing Orthodoxy live in the areas of hostilities, we call on the Ukrainian side to declare a ceasefire and allow them to attend services on Christmas Eve, as well as on Christmas Day."

Ukraine has rejected the ceasefire offer calling it 'hypocrisy'.

(With inputs from agencies)

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