Ukraine’s President praised the US for including tank-killing armoured vehicles in its latest multibillion-dollar package of military aid, saying they are “exactly what is needed” for Ukrainian troops locked in combat against Russian forces.

Officials, meanwhile, said it was unclear whether Moscow was abiding by a unilateral 36-hour cease-fire for Orthodox Christmas that Ukraine has denounced as a ploy. The latest multi-billion dollar package of US military assistance announced on Friday by the White House was the biggest to date for Kyiv.

For the first time, it included Bradley armoured vehicles — known as tank-killers because of the anti-tank missiles they fire. In his nightly televised address on Friday, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky called it “a very powerful package”.

“For the first time, we will get Bradley armoured vehicles — this is exactly what is needed. New guns and rounds, including high-precision ones, new rockets, and new drones. It is timely and strong,” he said.

He thanked US President Joe Biden, US lawmakers and “all the Americans who appreciate freedom, and who know that freedom is worth protecting”.

Ukrainian authorities on Saturday said that a Moscow-declared temporary truce for Orthodox Christmas appeared to have been ignored by some of its forces pressing ahead with the nearly 11- month invasion.

In the fiercely contested Luhansk region of eastern Ukraine, regional governor Serhiy Haidai reported continued Russian shelling.