The Russian army has captured the city of Marinka in eastern Ukraine, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Monday (December 25, 2023), allowing Moscow to continue its westward offensive in this region.
“The city of Marinka, located five kilometers southwest of Donetsk, was completely liberated today,” Shoigu said in a television interview with President Vladimir Putin.
According to Shoigu, Marinka is “a powerful fortified area connected by underground passages” that protect it from artillery and air strikes. “Thanks to the decisive action of our soldiers, an advance was possible,” he said.
“The liberation of the city, of course, reduces the defensive capability of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and gives us new opportunities to continue our action in this direction,” he added.
Russian President Vladimir Putin welcomed the fact that the capture of Marinka distanced Ukrainian troops from Donetsk, a regional capital under Russian control that has been a target of Ukrainian bombing since 2014.
“We have significantly repelled the artillery operational area near Donetsk, and this allows for more effective defense of the city against attacks today,” Shoigu emphasized. Marinka, as a fortified area, “gives our troops the opportunity to have a larger operational space,” Putin said.
ct (afp, efe)