MOSCOW, January 5. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has instructed to declare a ceasefire along the entire line of combat engagement in the zone of the special military operation from 12:00 on January 6 until 24:00 on January 7, the Kremlin press service reported on Thursday.

"Considering an address by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill, I am instructing the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation to introduce a ceasefire along the entire line of combat engagement in Ukraine from 12:00 on January 6 until 24:00 on January 7 of this year," according to a document cited by the press service.

"Proceeding from the fact that a large number of residents in the combat zone are Orthodox Christians, we are urging the Ukrainian side to declare a ceasefire to allow them attend services on Christmas Eve as well as on Christmas Day," the statement said.

Earlier on Thursday, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia addressed the conflicting sides urging them to declare a Christmas ceasefire in Ukraine as well as in Donbass and other Russia’s new regions involved in military actions.