Ukrainian army says it retreated to outskirts of town claimed by Moscow

KYIV – Ukraine’s commander-in-chief said on Dec 27 that his forces had pulled back to the outskirts of Maryinka, a day after Moscow claimed full control of the key town.

“We have now moved to the outskirts of Maryinka, and in some places already beyond the boundaries of the settlement,” General Valeriy Zaluzhnyi told reporters in Kyiv.

Maryinka is close to the key Russian-held city of Donetsk in east Ukraine.

“We protect every piece of our land but the lives of our soldiers are more important to us,” Gen Zaluzhnyi said, adding that in any case, the town “no longer exists” after being destroyed “street by street” by the Russians.

Of the troop movements, he said: “There is nothing in this that can cause a public outcry.”

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu on Dec 25 said Russian forces had “completely” captured Maryinka, speaking at a meeting with President Vladimir Putin shown on stateTV.

Piles of rubble and gutted apartment buildings over a wide area could be seen in drone images shown on Russian television that were said to be of Maryinka.

“I want to congratulate you,” Mr Putin told Mr Shoigu, adding that “this is a success” which gives Russian troops “the opportunity to move into a wider operational area”.

Mr Shoigu said control of Maryinka would let his soldiers “move farther in this direction” and “make it possible to protect Donetsk more effectively from strikes” from Ukrainian forces.

But Mr Oleksandr Shtupun, a spokesman for Ukraine’s army, said on Dec 25 it was “incorrect” to claim that Maryinka was fully controlled by Russian forces.

“The fighting for Maryinka continues,” he said, adding that there were still Ukrainian soldiers within the borders of the district of Maryinka. AFP