Our live coverage has ended for the day. You can read more about Russia's invasion of Ukraine here, or scroll through the updates below.
January 7, 2023 Russia-Ukraine news
By Sophie Tanno, Amarachi Orie, Peter Wilkinson, Adrienne Vogt, Matt Meyer and Tori B. Powell, CNN
Updated 9:19 p.m. ET, January 7, 2023
15 Posts
Sort by
Several explosions reported throughout Ukraine before the end of Russia's proposed ceasefire
From CNN's Yulia Kesaieva
Shortly before midnight on Orthodox Christmas, several explosions were reported throughout Ukraine.
A CNN team in Kramatorsk heard at least seven explosions late Saturday evening as air raid sirens were activated. It isn't clear if there were casualties from the explosions.
The explosions began after 11 p.m. local time, one hour before Russia’s proposed ceasefire was to end. The ceasefire, proposed by Russian President Vladimir Putin and dismissed as a cynical ploy by Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky, was supposed to last for 36 hours from noon Moscow time on Friday (4 a.m. ET).
In Kharkiv, one person was killed after two missiles were launched in the town of Merefa, the head of the region's military administration said on Telegram Saturday.
Explosions were also heard Saturday evening on the outskirts of Zaporizhzhia, said Anatolii Kurtev, the city council secretary.
It's past midnight in Kyiv. Here's what happened in the war today
Fighting continued Saturday as Orthodox Christmas celebrations were underway.
Here are more of the latest headlines in Russia's invasion of Ukraine:
Orthodox Christmas: Many Ukrainians and major churches are celebrating Orthodox Christmas. In Kyiv, the Dormition Cathedral, which is part of the historic Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra monastery, held mass in the Ukrainian language Saturday for the first time in centuries.
In a holiday message, Putin praised the Russian Orthodox Church and religious organizations for supporting Russian forces who are taking part in what Russia calls its "special military operation" in Ukraine.
Kyiv dismisses Putin's call for a ceasefire: Russian President Vladimir Putin called for a temporary 36-hour ceasefire in Ukraine to allow for celebrations, but Ukrainian officials dismissed the proposal as "hypocrisy" and "propaganda," as Russia's unrelenting onslaught continues.
Fighting continues: At least two people were killed and 13 wounded by artillery shelling of the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut on Saturday during the Russian-proposed ceasefire, according to a regional prosecutor. A drone was also shot down over the Crimean city of Sevastopol's Northern Pier during the ceasefire, according to Russian politician Mikhail Razvozhaev. So far Ukraine has not responded to the claim.
This map shows the latest state of control in Ukraine:
Historic Kyiv church holds Orthodox Christmas mass in Ukrainian for first time in centuries
From CNN's Radina Gigova in London and Yulia Kesaieva in Kyiv
The head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, lamented the change of control of one of the most famous Orthodox churches in Kyiv, which on Saturday held its first Orthodox Christmas mass in the Ukrainian language in centuries.
The Dormition Cathedral, part of the historic Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra monastery, returned to the direct control of the Ukrainian government after a contract for the use of the building by a branch of the Ukrainian church, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) — which had close ties with Moscow and used the complex as a home base — expired on Dec. 31, 2022.
The Ukrainian government suspended the lease of the UOC to the Dormition Cathedral and the Refectory Church — also known as the Tabernacle Church — and returned them to state control in January.
In a Christmas video message, Patriarch Kirill — who has been a staunch supporter of the war — asked for prayers "for our brothers in Ukraine who are being banished from Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra."
"That Lavra ... for centuries was a keeper of a true undoctored Orthodoxy," he added about the complex, which is also known as the Kyiv Monastery of the Caves and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Ukrainian government also announced that the other major church branch, the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU), had been granted permission to celebrate a Christmas service on Jan. 7 in the Dormition Cathedral. The service was led by the Head of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, Metropolitan of Kyiv and all Ukraine Epiphanius I.
Metropolitan Epiphanius called the mass a "historical event" held in "historical circumstances, in a historical place."
"God in the time of difficult trials has given us a great gift: For the first time in the main cathedral church of the Dormition Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra the Ukrainian prayer of the local autocephalous Orthodox Church of Ukraine is heard. Christ was born! Let us praise him," Metropolitan Epiphanius said Saturday in a Facebook statement.
Up until Saturday's mass, services were held in Old Church Slavonic, which is used as liturgical language by some Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic churches.
SBU raid: The Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) raided the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra in late November as part of an effort to counter suspected “subversive activities of (the) Russian special services” in the country. The raid was aimed at “preventing the use of the Lavra as a cell of the ‘Russian world’” and the “use of Ukrainian Orthodox Church premises for hiding sabotage and reconnaissance groups, foreign citizens, storing weapons,” the SBU said in a statement.
The SBU has carried out searches of premises belonging to the UOC in several regions.
Dec. 25 vs Jan. 7: In October last year, the OCU announced that it would allow its churches to celebrate Christmas on Dec. 25 — which marks the birth of Jesus according to the Gregorian calendar — in addition to Jan. 7, which marks the birth of Jesus according to the Julian calendar, deepening the rift with the Russian Orthodox Church and other Orthodox believers who observe the Julian calendar.
In May last year, the leaders of the other main branch, the UOC, which had been formally subordinate to the Moscow Patriarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church, announced they are breaking ties with Moscow, but part of the church had remained loyal to Russia.
Uliana Pavlova contributed reporting to this post.
In pictures: Ukrainians celebrate Orthodox Christmas
From CNN Digital's Photo Team
Worshippers all over Ukraine celebrated Orthodox Christmas on Saturday. The Orthodox holiday follows the Georgian calendar and is marked Jan. 7.
On Thursday, Russian President Vladmir Putin called for a temporary 36-hour ceasefire in Ukraine to allow Orthodox followers to attend Christmas services.
The proposal was rejected by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who said Russia aims to use Orthodox Christmas “as a cover” to resupply and stop Ukrainian advances in the eastern Donbas region.
This year's holiday marks the first time an Orthodox Church of Ukraine primate held service at the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra monastery in Kyiv in decades. The monastery was under the control of the Russian-aligned Ukrainian Orthodox Church until November, when it was raided by the Ukrainian Security Service as part of an effort to counter suspected “subversive activities" of Russia's special services.
Ukraine reveals estimated number of children killed in war to date
From CNN's Radina Gigova
At least 453 children have been killed and at least 877 have been injured since the start of the war in Ukraine, the country's Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said Saturday.
"Since February 24, 2022 [Russia] had killed 453 [Ukrainian] children and injured 877," Reznikov said in a Twitter post.
"However, real numbers are much higher. russia has been committing war crimes and has no plans to stop. #tribunal4russia," he said.
It comes after UNICEF warned last month that Russian strikes on critical infrastructure in Ukraine have put the physical and mental health of "almost every child" in the country "at desperate risk."
“Millions of children are facing a bleak winter huddled in the cold and the dark, with little idea of how or when respite may arrive,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell.
“Beyond the immediate threats the freezing conditions bring, children are also deprived of the ability to learn or stay connected with friends and family, putting both their physical and their mental health at desperate risk.”
Damaged health facilities may be unable to provide critical services, while malfunctioning water systems "raise the already extremely high risks of pneumonia, seasonal influenza, waterborne diseases and Covid-19," UNICEF said.
Vladimir Putin praises Orthodox Church for supporting Russia's invasion of Ukraine
From CNN's Radina Gigova in London
Russian President Vladimir Putin praised in a holiday message the Russian Orthodox Church and religious organizations for supporting Russian forces who are taking part in what Russia calls its "special military operation" in Ukraine.
In a message marking the Orthodox Christmas, Putin said the "serene" holiday "inspires noble deeds and aspirations," according to a transcript released by the Kremlin on Saturday.
“This serene holiday, beloved by all, inspires noble deeds and aspirations, and serves to reinforce in society such eternal spiritual values and moral constants as mercy, empathy, kindness and justice," Putin said.
"It is deeply gratifying to note the enormous constructive contribution of the Russian Orthodox Church and other Christian denominations to unifying society, preserving our historical memory, educating the youth and strengthening the institution of family," he said.
"Church organizations prioritize fostering interethnic and interfaith peace and harmony in our country, caring for the needy, and supporting our warriors taking part in the special military operation. Such massive, complex and truly selfless work deserves sincere respect," Putin said.
"I wish Orthodox Christians and all those celebrating Christmas good health, success and all the very best," he added.
Putin attended services on Christmas Eve at the Kremlin’s Annunciation Cathedral, according to the Kremlin.
On Thursday, he called for a temporary 36-hour ceasefire in Ukraine to allow Orthodox followers to attend Christmas services.
But the proposal was rejected by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who said Russia aims to use Orthodox Christmas “as a cover” to resupply and stop Ukrainian advances in the eastern Donbas region.
US targets Iranian drone companies over ties to Russia in new sanctions
From CNN's Jennifer Hansler
The US Treasury on Friday imposed sanctions on officials tied to an Iranian defense manufacturer that designs and produces unmanned aerial vehicles, which have been used in the war in Ukraine, as well as the director of “the key organization responsible for overseeing Iran’s ballistic missile programs.”
The new US sanctions hit “six executives and board members of U.S. designated Qods Aviation Industries” and the director of Iran’s Aerospace Industries Organization, according to a Treasury press release.
“We will continue to use every tool at our disposal to deny Putin the weapons that he is using to wage his barbaric and unprovoked war on Ukraine,” Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen said in a statement.
“The Kremlin’s reliance on suppliers of last resort like Iran shows their desperation in the face of brave Ukrainian resistance and the success of our global coalition in disrupting Russian military supply chains and denying them the inputs they need to replace weapons lost on the battlefield,” Yellen said. “The United States will act swiftly against individuals and entities supporting Iran’s UAV and ballistic missile programs and will stand resolutely in support of the people of Ukraine.”
CNN has reported how, according to a Ukrainian intelligence assessment, parts made by more than a dozen US and Western companies were found inside a single Iranian Shahed-136 drone downed in Ukraine last fall.
In December, the White House created an administration-wide task force to investigate how US and Western-made technology – ranging from smaller equipment like semiconductors and GPS modules to larger parts like engines – has ended up in Iranian drones.
CNN's Natasha Bertrand contributed to this report.
At least 2 reported killed and 13 wounded in shelling of Bakhmut during Russian ceasefire
From CNN's Niamh Kennedy and Denis Lapin
At least two people were killed and 13 wounded by artillery shelling of the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut on Saturday during the Russian-proposed ceasefire, according to a regional prosecutor.
In a Facebook post Saturday, the Donetsk Regional Prosecutor's Office said it had launched a pretrial investigation into events on Friday.
"According to the investigation, on January 6, 2023, the occupation forces of the Russian Federation carried out regular artillery shelling of the city of Bakhmut and Bakhmut district," the prosecutor said.
A CNN team on the ground in Bakhmut on Friday observed incoming and outgoing artillery fire around Bakhmut since the Russian ceasefire began at 11 a.m. (4 a.m. ET) that day.
The ceasefire proposed by Russian President Vladimir Putin and rejected by Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky was supposed to last for 36 hours.
"As a result of powerful mortar attacks on residential areas, a 66-year-old man and a 61-year-old woman died. Thirteen more people received mine-blast injuries and shrapnel wounds," the prosecutor added in the statement.
Private households, apartment buildings and other objects were damaged and destroyed by Friday's shelling, according to the prosecutor.
Ukraine's military maintained that Russia attacked Ukrainian positions across the east and south of the country until 6 a.m. Kyiv time Saturday, despite the ceasefire declared unilaterally by Moscow.
