Ukraine assures withdraw from main Donbass city

(MENAFN) In a significant development, Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Valery Zaluzhny has officially confirmed the retreat of Ukrainian troops from the key Donbass town of Maryinka, following months of intense fighting with Russian forces. Zaluzhny, addressing a press briefing on Tuesday, acknowledged the pullback and described the recent battles for Maryinka as reminiscent of Ukraine's earlier loss of Artyomovsk (Bakhmut). He emphasized the challenging nature of urban warfare, with soldiers being targeted street by street and block by block.

Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu had declared on Monday that Moscow's forces had fully liberated Maryinka, marking a strategic victory. Ukrainian troops had held the town for nearly a decade, utilizing it as a crucial hub in their conflicts with Donbass separatists and later the Russian Army. President Vladimir Putin highlighted that the capture of Maryinka pushed Ukrainian units further away from Donetsk, providing Russian forces with greater operational flexibility for future maneuvers.

While Ukrainian officials initially denied Russia's claim of capturing Maryinka, Zaluzhny clarified that Ukrainian troops now only held positions on the northern outskirts of the town. He emphasized the importance of every inch of territory but underscored that the safety and lives of Ukrainian soldiers took precedence. The retreat reflects the complex and dynamic nature of the conflict, with both sides continuing to engage in fierce battles for strategic strongholds in the region.

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