The Ukrainian Armed Forces denied the statements of Russian Minister Shoigu about the capture of Maryinka

On December 25, Russian Defense Minister Serhii Shoigu reported to Russian President Volodymyr Putin about the full occupation of the town of Maryinka in Donetsk region. According to him, the capture of the city made it possible to move the artillery of the Ukrainian Armed Forces away from Donetsk and provided "additional opportunities for further actions in this direction."

Oleksandr Shtupun, the spokesman of the Defense Forces of the Tavria region, said on the air of the telethon that the fighting for Maryinka continues.

"Now our military is in the administrative boundaries of Maryinka, but the city has been completely destroyed. It is incorrect to talk about Marʼinkaʼs complete admiration," he said.

• Active fighting for Maryinka, 23 km from Donetsk, has been going on since March 2022. This city is already 100% destroyed. The Russians claimed its capture several times, but Ukrainian troops held part of it. In the last months of 2023, defenders occupied the western districts of Maryinka.
• The majority of the civilian population was evacuated as early as 2022. Before the Great War, almost 9,400 people lived there.