Russia's war on Ukraine latest: Ukraine dismisses Russia truce order as a ploy

(Reuters) - A unilateral ceasefire in Ukraine declared by Russian President Vladimir Putin officially came into force on Friday but the hours leading up to the truce saw renewed fighting, with Kyiv rejecting the move as a trick.

TRUCE OFFER

* Russia s Channel 1 state television said the ceasefire began at noon Moscow time (0900 GMT) "along the entire line of contact" in the conflict. Reuters could not immediately establish if there had actually been any lull in fighting.

* Putin ordered Russian troops to cease firing from midday in response to a call for a Christmas truce from the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, a close Putin ally.

* Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy rejected the ceasefire and called it a trick. His adviser, Mikhailo Podolyak, said Russia "must leave the occupied territories - only then will it have a  temporary truce ." * U.S. President Joe Biden suggested the ceasefire offer was a sign of desperation.

DIPLOMACY/AID

* A new U.S. weapons package for Ukraine will be worth about $2.8 billion, U.S. officials told Reuters. * Germany wants to deliver around 40 Marder infantry fighting vehicles to Ukraine before the end of the first quarter, the government said.

* The Kremlin said Putin told Turkey s President Tayyip Erdogan that Russia was ready for peace talks - but only under the condition that Ukraine acknowledge Russia s annexation of Ukrainian territory. Ukraine called the demand "fully unacceptable". * Erdogan said his government was ready to take on mediation duties to secure a lasting peace. But U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said serious peace negotiations were still far away.

FIGHTING

* The United States believes Yevgeny Prigozhin, owner of the Wagner mercentary group and Putin ally, wants control of salt and gypsum mines near Bakhmut, a White House official said. * The Ukrainian prosecutor general s office said at least 452 children have been killed and 877 injured in the war.

* The Ukrainian military said the Russians were focused on an offensive in the Bakhmut sector of the Donetsk region.
* Reuters could not immediately verify the battlefield reports.

QUOTES

Kramatorsk resident Yehven, 32: "I think we still have the guys that are holding Bakhmut and other directions, so we will be fine, Ukraine will win. Defeat these animals, there s no other name for them. Anyway, all this will end soon. Kramatorsk will hold through. I tell people we should pray for the guys holding Bakhmut. If Bakhmut is given up, Kramatorsk will suffer heavily."