KYIV –Russia on December 25 mentioned its forces had captured the strategic Donetsk area city of Maryinka in japanese Ukraine, however Kyiv disputed the declare, reporting that its troops had repelled three “unsuccessful assaults” close to the ruined and practically abandoned group.
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”It is not appropriate to speak about seizing Maryinka,” Ukrainian navy spokesman Oleksandr Shtupun advised Ukrainian TV following claims made by Russian Protection Minister Sergei Shoigu throughout a televised assembly with President Vladimir Putin.
”The combating for Maryinka continues,” Shtupun mentioned.
“At the moment, our servicemen are inside the administrative borders of Maryinka, however the metropolis has been utterly destroyed,” he added.
Maryinka is a comparatively small city — with a prewar inhabitants underneath 10,000 — however, in line with British intelligence, the Russian navy has been in search of to seize it to be able to advance additional west and higher defend occupied Donetsk metropolis.
The combating comes as Ukraine celebrated Christmas on December 25 for the primary time as an alternative of the normal January date of previous years.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy signed a regulation in July shifting the official vacation to December 25 from January 7, the day noticed by the Russian Orthodox Church. The regulation said its aim was to “abandon the Russian heritage” following Moscow’s determination to invade in February 2022.
The swap brings Ukraine’s Orthodox worshippers according to the nation’s Catholics, who earlier this yr permitted an analogous change in calendars.
Frontline Ukrainian Troops Rejoice First Christmas In accordance To Western Calendar
As Kyiv’s forces battle on the entrance line on December 24 within the Kharkiv area, troopers took time to rejoice Christmas in line with the Western Calendar. Ukraine is formally celebrating Christmas for the primary time on December 25 as an alternative of the January date extra intently linked to Russia.
Ukraine’s navy on Christmas Day mentioned its forces shot down dozens of Iranian-made Shahed drones and claimed to have blasted one other two Russian fighter jets from the sky, including to earlier claims of mounting success in opposition to enemy air assaults.
Ukrainian navy authorities mentioned the jets had been downed late on December 24, following reviews that the nation’s forces had shot down three jets within the earlier two days, as Kyiv and Moscow exchanged unconfirmed claims that enemy warplanes had been downed. It additionally mentioned 38 Shahed drones had been shot down.
One of many Russian jets was downed within the space of occupied Mariupol, a Ukrainian official mentioned.
”It has been confirmed that our anti-aircraft missile system hit an Su-34 fighter-bomber within the Mariupol sector. It didn’t return to its airfield,” Air Drive Commander Mykola Oleshchuk mentioned on Telegram,
Reviews from both aspect couldn’t instantly be independently verified.
However they arrive as Kyiv awaits supply within the coming days of the long-desired first cargo of superior F-16 fighter jets as Ukraine makes an attempt to counter Russia’s air supremacy over occupied territory.
In the meantime, Ukrainian navy spokesman Shtupun in Ukraine’s Tavria area mentioned Russian occupying forces are ”more and more” refusing to participate in assault operations on the entrance traces.
“There may be details about an growing variety of occupiers’ refusals to take part in assault operations. Particularly, this was seen within the models of [Russia’s] 1st Military Corps,” he mentioned.
Elsewhere on the battlefield, the Ukrainian navy reported the motion of Russian tanks within the Mariupol district.
”Over the weekend, the motion of tanks — not less than 5 models — with trendy modifications was detected via Mariupol within the route of Berdyansk,” mentioned Petro Andryushchenko, an adviser to Ukraine’s Mariupol mayor.
Mariupol was occupied by Russian troops within the spring of 2022 after an extended siege and avenue combating. Town was badly broken. At the moment, it’s situated at a substantial distance from the entrance line, however Ukrainian forces periodically launch missile strikes on Russian navy amenities in Mariupol.
Ukraine additionally introduced excellent news on Christmas Day on the financial entrance, saying it had obtained $1.34 billion in financing, principally via the World Financial institution — funds that will probably be partially used to compensate social applications for monies misplaced to safety and protection monetary wants.
The Finance Ministry mentioned the bundle consisted of a $1.086 billion mortgage from the World Financial institution, a $190 million grant from Norway, $50 million from america, and $20 million from Switzerland.
”Worldwide monetary help is a major contribution to sustaining the monetary and financial stability of Ukraine and permits us to make sure precedence social expenditures through the struggle,” Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko mentioned.
”For the reason that starting of the full-scale invasion, the governments of Japan, america, Norway, and Switzerland have repeatedly demonstrated their unwavering assist and solidarity to Ukraine,” he added.