Kremlin spokesperson says Russia is not considering a Christmas ceasefire less than a week after Zelenskyy called for Moscow to withdraw before the holiday season.
ADVERTISEMENTAs the holiday season approaches in Ukraine, a Kremlin spokesperson said Moscow was not considering a Christmas-time ceasefire.
“No proposals have been received from anyone, and this topic is not on the agenda,” Dmitry Peskov said to a journalist who asked if Moscow has received an offer for a truce from Kyiv.
The statement comes less than a week after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for Russia to withdraw its troops before Christmas.
As the season progresses, analysts claim a winter deadlock has set in preventing either side from significant territorial gains.
Despite this, fierce fighting continues in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk. And airstrikes continue to rock the country’s cities, including its capital Kyiv, where five buildings were damaged on Wednesday.
No casualties were reported.
The situation could have been much worse, as according to Zelenskyy, Ukrainian forces were able to repeal some drones.
"First of all, I want to thank our anti-aircraft gunners and the Air Force for repelling another attack by Iranian drones this morning," Zelenskyy said.
"A total of 13 Shaheds were shot down. These are 13 saved infrastructure objects, these are saved lives, in one morning.
"We are constantly strengthening our air defence and anti-drone defence. And we are doing everything to get more modern and more powerful systems for Ukraine".
Since October, Moscow has launched frequent strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure to cut power as temperatures plunge, leaving millions in darkness.
"Almost all children in Ukraine - nearly seven million," are at risk from these attacks, Unicef warned on Wednesday.
In light of the attacks, the US is reportedly poised to approve sending a Patriot missile battery to Ukraine. If the move goes ahead, it would be the most advanced surface-to-air missile system sent to the country.