Russian President Vladimir Putin, on Friday, attended an Orthodox Christmas service inside the Kremlin cathedral alone for the first time, defying the previous tradition of joining other worshippers in a public celebration.
What Happened: The Russian president stood alone at a midnight service at the Cathedral of the Annunciation — originally designed as a church for the Russian tsars — as he marked Orthodox Christmas amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.
This is in stark contrast to his earlier traditions of attending Orthodox Christmas services in other Russian provinces with the public.
In his remarks, Putin also praised the Orthodox Church and its influential head Patriarch Kirill who has fully backed Russia's war in Ukraine.
“Church organizations prioritize… supporting our warriors taking part in the special military operation (in Ukraine). Such massive, complex and truly selfless work deserves sincere respect,” Putin said.
“Such great, multifaceted, truly ascetic work deserves the most sincere respect,” he added.
Kirill had previously said that Russians who will die in the Ukraine war would "sacrifice themselves for others,” adding that “therefore, we believe that this sacrifice washes away all the sins that a person has committed.”
The Russian president on Thursday had unilaterally ordered his forces for a 36-hour ceasefire for the celebrations. However, AFP reported both outgoing and incoming shelling in the frontline city of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine even after the time when the truce was supposed to have begun.
Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik on Sunday also awarded Putin with the highest medal of honor for his "patriotic concern and love" for the Serb-controlled half of Bosnia, reported Reuters.
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