Russia has captured the main city of Marinka in eastern Ukraine
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has claimed the capture of Marinka, the main city in eastern Ukraine. He said his troops had captured "heavily defended" areas just outside the Russian-held regional capital of Donetsk.
This information is known in a report of international media BBC on Tuesday (December 26).
Valery Zaluzhny, the commander of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said that Ukrainian forces had moved to the outskirts of Marinka.
According to the BBC, the Marinka-Donetsk entrance was almost completely destroyed.
Russia's Defense Ministry has confirmed that one of its warships was damaged by a Ukrainian attack on the port of Feodosia in occupied Crimea. Officials also said that one person was killed in the incident.
Ukraine's air force chief said warplanes destroyed the Novocherkassk landing ship used to move troops and heavy equipment early Tuesday.
Shoigu reported details of the ship's damage to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday. He said that the Russian forces have stopped the counter-offensive in Ukraine and are now advancing on all fronts.
A day earlier, Putin was heard on Russian state television saying, "Invading groups of the southern group today completely liberated the settlement of Marinka, five kilometers [three miles] southwest of Donetsk."
Marinka, once home to 10,000 people, remained in Ukrainian hands during the Kremlin's war in eastern Ukraine. Russia annexed Crimea in 2014. At that time it occupied parts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
Marinka came under Russian attack in 2022 when Russia launched a full-scale offensive.
"For nine years, the armed forces of Ukraine have built a strong fortified area, connected by underground passages. This fortified area is now cracked," Shoigu said.
Putin hailed it as a "success", saying Ukrainian troops were now pushed further from Donetsk, coming under regular fire from Marinka.
The Kremlin leader added that Russian forces now have "the opportunity to move into a wider operational area" in the Donetsk region.
On Monday, Ukraine's military denied the Russian claim. Ukrainian military bloggers reported that Ukrainian troops were stationed in a small area in western Marinka.
However, speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Commander of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valery Zaluzhny confirmed that Ukrainian troops had been withdrawn.
Zaluzhani said the city was destroyed: "Marinka is no more."
Ukraine has been using the city as a defensive barrier since 2014.