A drone view shows the remains of the town of Maryinka, destroyed by the Russians as Russia’s attack on Ukraine continues, in Maryinka, Donetsk region, Ukraine, May 12, 2023, in this screenshot from a social media video. Andriy Yermak acquires license rights via Telegram/via Portal/File Photo
Dec 1 (Portal) – Control of Maryinka, a town in eastern Ukraine nearly destroyed by more than a year of fighting, remained uncertain on Friday. Unofficial reports suggested that Russian forces were making some gains.
Most reports on Maryinka, southwest of the Russian-controlled regional center of Donetsk, describe it as a ghost town amid daily reports of Ukrainian forces defending various districts. Once a city of 10,000 people, there are no civilians left.
Ukraine’s General Staff said in its evening report that Russian troops’ attempts to advance on villages near Maryinka were unsuccessful, but said nothing about troop movements in the city.
The Russian Defense Ministry did not mention the city in its dispatches.
Unofficial Russian blogger Rybar pointed to a photo circulating on social media showing Russian forces raising the national flag in the southwest of the city. Ukrainian forces remained in control of other districts.
“However, if the information about the movement of Russian troops south is correct, the enemy’s withdrawal is a question that is rapidly approaching,” it said.
Ukrainian social media accounts reported Russian advances but quoted soldiers rejecting the idea that Moscow’s troops had controlled the entire city.
“The Russians have been taking Maryinka since March 2022,” says a post on the DeepState blog. “Maryinka has been in ruins for more than a year.”
Russian forces focused on eastern Ukraine have been attacking the town of Avdiivka, 40 km (25 miles) north of Maryinka, since mid-October. Ukraine says its forces control Avdiivka, although not a single building remains intact.
Ukrainian military spokesman Volodymyr Fitio did not mention Maryinka or Avdiivka on national television, but said Russian forces were launching attacks in many sections of the 1,000km front line.
He said Ukrainian forces repelled attacks near Kupiansk, a northeastern area captured by Russia after the February 2022 invasion but recaptured by Ukrainian troops a year ago.
Ukrainian troops recaptured large areas in a push through the northeast last year, but a counteroffensive launched in the east and south in June yielded only small successes.
President Volodymyr Zelensky admits the advance has been slow but rejects any notion that the war is descending into a stalemate.
Reporting by Ron Popeski; Edited by Leslie Adler
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