Putin orders a temporary cease-fire in Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin has instructed his country's defense minister to order a temporary cease-fire in Ukraine over Orthodox Christmas.

The ceasefire will begin for 36 hours at noon on Jan. 6. Orthodox Christmas is traditionally celebrated by many on Jan. 6 and 7.

According to the Kremlin's press service, Putin made the announcement in response to an earlier call by the leader of the Moscow Patriarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, for guns to go silent over the Orthodox holiday.

"Due to the fact that a large number of citizens of the Orthodox faith live in several areas of the conflict zone, we call on the Ukrainian side to observe a ceasefire and allow them to visit Christmas Eve services, as well as those on the day of the birth of Christ," said a statement posted to the Kremlin website.

Patriarch Kirill has been an avid supporter of the Kremlin's actions in Ukraine — including telling Russian soldiers that dying for the cause would "wash away all sins." His support of the Russian military has divided the world Orthodox faithful.

In May, the Council of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church formally broke with the Moscow Patriarch over his open support of the war — a move that Ukrainian officials noted in condemning the cease-fire offer.