Moscow says it has taken control of Mariinka: the town which has been resisting the gates of Donetsk since 2014. The Ukrainians deny this.
Moscow says it has taken control of Mariinka.
The locality is a symbol of Ukrainian resistance : Mariinka is in ruins, 5 km southwest of Donetsk and since 2014, the Ukrainians have maintained themselves there in fortifications from where they bomb and blockade the Russians.
Vladimir Putin, Russian President: “By penetrating this fortified zone, our troops are able to reach a larger operational area.”
kyiv assures for its part that the Russians do not fully control Mariinka.
A little further north of Donetsk, in Kostiantynivka, Ukrainian soldiers face the cold and hope that their Western allies will not forget them.
Mykhailo Oliynyk, soldier of the 59th brigade: “We want to convey to the whole world that the war in Ukraine has not stopped. There are many occupied cities where it will be difficult for people to celebrate the holidays.”
The fighting on the front line takes place while, for the first time, Ukraine officially celebrated Christmas on December 25, according to the Gregorian calendar and not on January 7, as Russia does.