The Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, informed at a press conference on December 26 that the Russians destroyed Mariinka in the Donetsk region, and Ukrainian troops prepared a defensive line outside the city.
What did Zaluzhnyi say about Mariinka
Zaluzhnyi was asked whether the Russian troops captured Mariinka.
We protect every piece of our land. Every piece. But when, on this narrow patch, enemy shells begin to dig this place together with stones, with earth, with our soldiers, the lives of our soldiers are more important to us.
He added that the city was held for almost two years, but the Russians destroyed it "street by street, house by house."
As of today, our troops are still in the northern part. Our troops have prepared a defensive line outside this settlement. But I can say that this settlement no longer exists.
Zaluzhnyi noted that the actions of the Russian occupiers in Mariinka are the same as in Bakhmut of the Donetsk region.
Street by street, block by block are destroying, our fighters are digging. [...] The fact that we have now moved to the outskirts of Mariinka, and in some places have equipped ourselves behind Mariinka, seems to me to be nothing that can cause a public outcry. It (the city of Maryinka — ed.) is gone. Unfortunately.
The situation in Mariinka
On December 25, Oleksandr Shtupun, the spokesman of the joint press centre of the Defense Forces of the Tavria region, said that Ukrainian servicemen are in the administrative borders of Mariinka.
Earlier that day, Russian Defense Minister Serhii Shoigu reported to Russian President Vladimir Putin about the alleged full occupation of Maryinka.
Before the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation, about 10,000 residents lived in Marinka. In early November 2022, all civilians were evacuated from the city.
