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Russian forces gain control of Maryinka in east Ukraine, defence minister says

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin listens to Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu during a meeting after a flag-raising ceremony for the Admiral Golovko frigate joining the Russian Navy Fleet at a shipyard in Saint Petersburg, Russia, December 25, 2023. Sputnik/Alexei Danichev/Pool via REUTERS 

Russian forces, according to Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, have gained complete control of Maryinka, a town in eastern Ukraine, marking a significant advancement since the capture of Bakhmut in May. Described as a ghost town in most accounts, Maryinka is located southwest of the Russian-held regional center of Donetsk.

President Vladimir Putin stated that the control of Maryinka, once inhabited by 10,000 people, will enable Russian forces to relocate enemy combat units away from Donetsk, providing them with a broader operational area. This exchange between Putin and Shoigu was captured in a video posted online by a Kremlin journalist.

Russia’s previous major success on the battlefield was the capture of Bakhmut in May, but Ukraine initiated a counteroffensive in June to reclaim territories in the south and east, including Bakhmut. Despite facing staunch Russian resistance, Kyiv’s forces have made limited progress in the counteroffensive.

Russian troops have escalated both land and air-based attacks on the nearby town of Avdiivka since mid-October. Avdiivka, a focal point in the slow-moving push through eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region, was briefly seized by Russian-backed separatists in 2014. Fortifications were subsequently erected around the town, considered a gateway to Donetsk.

The Ukrainian General Staff reported that Ukrainian defense forces successfully repelled five Russian attacks in the areas of Maryinka and Novomykhailivka in the Donetsk region. As of now, there have been no official comments from Ukraine regarding the latest developments.

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