MOSCOW: Russia on Monday said its forces now fully controlled the town of Maryinka in eastern Ukraine, which President Vladimir Putin hailed as a “success” that would mean less shelling on the nearby Russian-held city of Donetsk.
“Our assault units have today completely liberated the settlement of Maryinka,” Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu told Putin in a meeting shown on state television.
Piles of rubble and gutted apartment buildings over a wide area could be seen in drone images shown on Russian television that were said to be of Maryinka.
“I want to congratulate you,” Putin told Shoigu.
“This is a success” which gives Russian troops “the opportunity to move into a wider operational area.”
Shoigu said the control of Maryinka would enable his soldiers to “move further in this direction” and “make it possible to protect Donetsk more effectively from strikes” from Ukrainian forces.
But Oleksandr Shtupun, a spokesman for Ukraine’s army, said it was “incorrect” to claim that Maryinka was fully controlled by Russian forces.
“The fighting for Maryinka continues,” he said, adding that there were still Ukrainian soldiers within the borders of the district of Maryinka.
“The town is completely destroyed,” he said.
The claims could not be independently verified.
A counter-offensive by Ukrainian forces which started in June along the front line in the south and east of the country has largely petered out, with few successes.
Russian forces have increased pressure in recent weeks.
Russia says seized town of Maryinka in eastern Ukraine
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Russia says seized town of Maryinka in eastern Ukraine
- “Our assault units have today completely liberated the settlement of Maryinka,” Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu told Putin in a meeting shown on state television
Russia attacks two Ukrainian ports, damaging three Turkish-owned vessels
- Kyiv says Russia used drones and missiles for strikes
- Moscow vowed retaliation for Kyiv’s attacks on tanker fleet
KYIV: Russia attacked two Ukrainian ports on Friday, damaging three Turkish-owned vessels including a ship carrying food supplies, Ukrainian officials and one ship owner said, days after Moscow threatened to cut “Ukraine off from the sea.”
Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed retaliation against Kyiv’s maritime drone attacks on Moscow’s “shadow fleet” tankers thought to be used to export oil, which Kyiv says is Russia’s main source of funding for its almost four-year-old war.
The attack on Friday came hours after Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan told Putin that a limited ceasefire for energy facilities and ports could be beneficial.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky posted photos which showed a large fire burning aboard a ship in the port of Chornomorsk in Odesa region, with firefighters tackling the blaze.
“This proves once again that Russians not only fail to take the current opportunity for diplomacy seriously enough, but also continue the war precisely to destroy normal life in Ukraine,” he said.
That vessel’s owner, Cenk Shipping, said the Cenk T vessel had been subject to attack around 1600 Ukraine time (1400 GMT).
There were no casualties among the crew, and damage was limited, it added.
Reuters verified the moment of the attack seen on a video published on X. The vessel in the clip matched Cenk T, and the cranes and buildings matched satellite imagery of the Chornomorsk port.
Fabian Hinz, research fellow for defense and military analysis at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said the weapon seen was a Russian Geran-2 drone in its loitering configuration.
Russia’s defense ministry did not immediately reply to a Reuters request for comment.
“The strike is aimed at civilian logistics and commercial shipping,” Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Kuleba said.
Navigation safety targeted
Russia attacked Ukrainian ports with drones and ballistic missiles, Kuleba added.
He said that one employee of a private company had been injured in a separate attack on Odesa port, and that a cargo loader had been damaged there.
Ukraine’s navy spokesperson told Reuters that three vessels were damaged in total, all Turkish-owned. But the spokesperson did not provide additional details.
Turkiye’s foreign ministry confirmed damage in the Chornomorsk port, adding that there were no reports of injured Turkish citizens.
Reuters was able to verify the vessel by the design and name of the bow that matched file imagery of the Cenk T vessel.
“We reiterate the need for an arrangement whereby, in order to prevent escalation in the Black Sea, attacks targeting navigational safety as well as the parties’ energy and port infrastructure are suspended,” the ministry’s statement said.
The three large Black Sea ports in the Odesa region are a key economic artery for Ukraine, which is a major commodities exporter.
In addition to the attacks on Moscow’s “shadow fleet” tankers, Ukraine has ramped up pressure on Russia by hitting targets in the Caspian Sea this week, including vessels allegedly carrying military equipment and a major oil rig.
