Ukraine admits withdrawal of its troops from Marjinka
The small town of Marjinka is protected by fortifications. Ukraine built them in 2014 when pro-Russian separatists took Donetsk. The Russians nevertheless succeeded in capturing the town, as commander-in-chief Salushny admits. He also does not rule out a Russian advance to Avdiivka.
The Ukrainian commander-in-chief Valery Salushnyj has admitted that his troops have largely withdrawn from the completely destroyed small town of Marjinka in the eastern Donetsk region. The general told journalists in Kiev that the armed forces were in the northern part and that new defense lines had been prepared outside Marjinka. The day before, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu had announced the conquest of the city, which has been embattled since February 2022, which Kiev initially denied.
The Ukrainian army had already fortified Mariinka in 2014. At that time, pro-Russian separatists controlled by Moscow had taken Donetsk. Russian Defense Minister Shoigu spoke to Putin about the "powerful fortifications" and "underground passages" that Ukraine had built in Mariinka. The fortress had been conquered thanks to the "determined actions of our soldiers".
Salushnyi spoke of the possibility that Russian troops would succeed in capturing the town of Avdiivka, north of Donetsk, in "two to three months". "We don't need to cling to a particular settlement and make a show or mourning about it," he said.
The defense will be maintained for as long as possible. However, it is more important for Kiev to save the soldiers for a later reconquest. Kiev has been fending off a Russian invasion for more than 22 months. Following a Ukrainian counter-offensive that was considered to have largely failed, Russian troops have recently regained the initiative, particularly in eastern Ukraine. Including the Crimean peninsula, which Russia annexed back in 2014, almost a fifth of Ukraine's territory is under Russian control.
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Despite the Ukrainian army's withdrawal from Marjinka, the conflict in Ukraine continues, with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu claiming victory in the city. Shoigu's comments come amidst ongoing Russian attacks on Ukraine, highlighting the fragile state of peace in the region.
Source: www.ntv.de
