Russia Ukraine War Live Updates: Russia accuses Ukraine of ceasefire violation

In Kyiv, hundreds of worshippers on Saturday attended a historic service at the 11th century Kyiv Pechersk Lavra as Metropolitan Epifaniy, head of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, led a Christmas divine liturgy in the pro-Western country's most signifiant Orthodox monastery.The service is expected to anger the Moscow Patriarchate. Located in the capital Kyiv, the monastery used to be the seat of a branch of the Ukrainian Orthodox Chuch that was previously under Moscow's jurisdiction but which severed ties after Russia invaded Ukraine in February.Orthodox Christians observe Christmas on January 7.

Ukraine's president is praising the United States for including tank-killing armored vehicles in its latest multibillion-dollar package of military aid, saying they are “exactly what is needed” for Ukrainian troops locked in combat against Russian forces.The White House announcement Friday of $3.75 billion in weapons and other aid for Ukraine and its neighbors on NATO’s eastern flank came as Moscow said its troops are observing a short cease-fire for Orthodox Christmas, celebrated Saturday.

India's ambassador to Ukraine Harsh Kumar Jain called on Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Saturday. Vice president's secretariat tweeted about the meeting, but shared no details of the discussions between the two.

Russian and Ukrainian forces exchanged artillery fire at the front line in Ukraine on Friday, even after Moscow said it had ordered its troops to stop shooting for a unilateral truce that was firmly rejected by Kyiv. President Vladimir Putin ordered the 36-hour ceasefire from midday on Friday to observe Russian Orthodox Christmas. Ukraine has said it has no intention to stop fighting, rejecting the purported truce as a stunt by Moscow to buy time to reinforce troops that have taken heavy losses this week."What ceasefire? Can you hear?" said a Ukrainian soldier, using the nom de guerre Vyshnya, as an explosion rang out in the distance at the front line near Kreminna in eastern Ukraine. "What do they want to achieve if they keep on shooting? We know, we have learnt not to trust them."

ndia and the United States "agree very much" that the restoration of an enduring peace in Ukraine is essential, the Biden administration has said.

State Department spokesperson Ned Price also said his country is engaging very closely with its allies and partners, including India, on the conflict in Ukraine and that the international community firmly recognises the need to hold Russia to account.

“We agree very much with India that the restoration of an enduring peace in Ukraine is essential. This is the same message that President (Volodymyr) Zelenskyy himself has issued. During the G-20, he spoke to the assembled world leaders, laid out his vision for a just peace. This is something that we very much welcome,” he told reporters at his daily news conference on Friday.

The United States on Friday announced military assistance worth over USD 3.75 billion for Ukraine, European allies, and partners, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced in a statement. In the statement, Antony Blinken said, "This assistance includes a $2.85 billion drawdown from stocks of the Department of Defense to be provided immediately to Ukraine and $225 million in Foreign Military Financing to build the long-term capacity and support modernization of Ukraine's military."

The United States on Friday announced a major military assistance package for Ukraine that is valued at more than $3 billion and includes 50 Bradleys and dozens of other armored vehicles.

The assistance -- $2.85 billion drawn from US inventories and $225 million in foreign military financing -- does not include advanced Western tanks sought by Kyiv, but will still provide significant additional firepower for its forces.

It is "the largest security assistance package in total value that we have committed so far," Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Laura Cooper told journalists.

Artillery exchanges pounded war-scarred cities in eastern Ukraine on Friday despite Russian leader Vladimir Putin unilaterally ordering his forces to pause attacks for 36 hours for the Orthodox Christmas.

The brief ceasefire declared by Putin earlier this week was supposed to begin at 0900 GMT Friday and would have been the first full pause since Moscow's invasion in February 2022.