Ukraine military chief disputes Russian claim to control Maryinka in east
The commander of Ukraine’s armed forces said on Tuesday his troops remained in an area of the eastern town of Maryinka despite assertions by Russia’s defence minister that Moscow was in control of the settlement, which has been reduced to ruins after many months of fighting.
Reuters reports that Valery Zaluzhnyi acknowledged to reporters that the town was in ruins, but said Ukrainian troops were still positioned on its northern flank.
Deepstate, a popular Ukrainian war blog, reported late on Tuesday that Russian troops had taken over all areas of the town that had previously been outside its control.
Reuters could not confirm reports of military activity from either side.
Capturing Maryinka would amount to Moscow’s most significant battlefield gain since May.
Zaluzhnyi told journalists that Russian forces had for two years been bearing down on Maryinka, a short drive from the Russian-held regional centre of Donetsk. He said:
At this time today, our troops are still in northern areas. Our troops had readied a defensive line outside this locality, but I can say that this locality no longer exists.
Sergei Shoigu, Russia’s defence minister, said in a televised video with the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, on Monday:
Our assault units … have today completely liberated the settlement of Maryinka.
Putin said taking the town would enable Russian troops to be able to operate in a wider area.
Zaluzhnyi said Ukrainian forces were resolved to defend any corner of the country, be it in Maryinka or Bakhmut or Avdiikva, two other towns in the country’s east subject to months of fighting.
Bakhmut was captured by Russian troops in May and Ukrainian forces have been trying to secure nearby villages in a counteroffensive launched soon after. Avdiivka, adjacent to Maryinka, remains in Ukrainian hands, but has been under fierce attack for two months.
Key events
One person was killed after Russian forces sent dozens of attack drones over Ukraine in their latest overnight air strike, Ukrainian authorities said on Wednesday.
A 35-year-old man was killed by debris from a downed drone in a residential area, the governor of Ukraine‘s Odesa region said. The interior ministry said four others, including a six-year-old child, were wounded.
According to Reuters, the Ukraine air force reported that 32 of 46 Iranian-made drones launched by Russia had been shot down. These were shot down over parts of central, southern and western Ukraine, it added. Most of the rest struck near the front line, mainly in the southern Kherson region.
Ukraine‘s interior ministry also reported a separate fatality from overnight shelling of Kherson.
Ukraine military chief disputes Russian claim to control Maryinka in east
The commander of Ukraine’s armed forces said on Tuesday his troops remained in an area of the eastern town of Maryinka despite assertions by Russia’s defence minister that Moscow was in control of the settlement, which has been reduced to ruins after many months of fighting.
Reuters reports that Valery Zaluzhnyi acknowledged to reporters that the town was in ruins, but said Ukrainian troops were still positioned on its northern flank.
Deepstate, a popular Ukrainian war blog, reported late on Tuesday that Russian troops had taken over all areas of the town that had previously been outside its control.
Reuters could not confirm reports of military activity from either side.
Capturing Maryinka would amount to Moscow’s most significant battlefield gain since May.
Zaluzhnyi told journalists that Russian forces had for two years been bearing down on Maryinka, a short drive from the Russian-held regional centre of Donetsk. He said:
At this time today, our troops are still in northern areas. Our troops had readied a defensive line outside this locality, but I can say that this locality no longer exists.
Sergei Shoigu, Russia’s defence minister, said in a televised video with the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, on Monday:
Our assault units … have today completely liberated the settlement of Maryinka.
Putin said taking the town would enable Russian troops to be able to operate in a wider area.
Zaluzhnyi said Ukrainian forces were resolved to defend any corner of the country, be it in Maryinka or Bakhmut or Avdiikva, two other towns in the country’s east subject to months of fighting.
Bakhmut was captured by Russian troops in May and Ukrainian forces have been trying to secure nearby villages in a counteroffensive launched soon after. Avdiivka, adjacent to Maryinka, remains in Ukrainian hands, but has been under fierce attack for two months.
Opening summary
We’re restarting our rolling coverage of the war. Here’s an overview of the latest developments:
Ukraine’s armed forces commander has said his troops remain in an area of the eastern town of Maryinka despite Russia’s assertions that Moscow is in control of the settlement.
Valerii Zaluzhnyi acknowledged on Tuesday the town was in ruins after prolonged fighting but said Ukrainian troops were still positioned on its northern flank.
Capturing Maryinka would amount to Moscow’s most significant battlefield gain since May.
More on that story shortly. In other news:
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The Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, will hold talks with his Indian counterpart, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, in Moscow on Wednesday, Russia’s foreign ministry has said. The ministers plan to discuss bilateral ties as well as the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza.
