The commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian army, Valery Zaluzhny, acknowledged on Tuesday that his troops had withdrawn to the outskirts of Marinka, a city in the east that Moscow claimed capture on Monday.
“The fact that we have moved to the outskirts of Marinka and that in some places we have already exceeded the boundaries of the place should not provoke public protests”Zaluzhny suggested at a press conference.
On Monday, the Russian army took control of Marinka, near Donetsk, in eastern Ukraine, which served as a stronghold for Ukrainian forces.
This Tuesday, Zaluzhni admitted the withdrawal of his troops and compared the attack on Marinka to the complete destruction of Bakhmut by Russian soldiers.
“We protect every piece of our country, every piece, but if enemy projectiles start filling that narrow stretch with rocks, dirt and our soldiers, then the lives of our troops will be the most important thing.”promised the Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Marinka has been transformed into a stronghold by the Ukrainian army since 2014. The outbreak of conflict with pro-Russian separatists led by Moscow caused the Russians to begin to control the territory, namely the city of Donetsk.
According to the Russian Defense Minister, Marinka is “a powerful fortified area connected by underground passages” that protect it from artillery and air attacks.
“Thanks to the decisive action of our soldiers, the fortress was destroyed”Sergei Shoigu said on Monday.
“The town of Marinka, located five kilometers southwest of Donetsk, was completely liberated today”said Sergei Shoigu in a television interview with the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin.
“The liberation of the city naturally reduces the defense capabilities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and gives us more opportunities to continue our action in this direction”he added.
Vladimir Putin welcomed the fact that control of Marinka will keep Ukrainian forces away from Donetsk, the Russian-controlled regional capital, which has been regularly targeted by Ukrainian shelling since 2014.
“We have significantly reduced the range of artillery action near Donetsk (…) and this now allows Donetsk to be more effectively defended against attacks”the President of Russia emphasized.
As a fortified zone, Marinka gives Russian troops “the possibility of a wider operational space”reinforced Vladimir Putin.
Since the failure of the Ukrainian counter-offensive, Russian forces have regained the initiative at the front and gained ground especially in eastern Ukraine.
In particular, the Russian army has been trying for several months to encircle another Ukrainian stronghold, Avdiïvka, also in eastern Ukraine.
The military offensive that Russia launched in Ukraine on February 24, 2022 caused the worst refugee crisis in Europe since World War II (1939-1945), according to the most recent UN data.
The Russian invasion – justified by Russian President Vladimir Putin on the need to “denazify” and demilitarize Ukraine for Russia’s security – was condemned by most of the international community, which responded by sending weapons to Ukraine and impose political and economic sanctions on Russia.
Source: DN
