The Armed Forces of Ukraine attempted an assault near the liberated city of Marinka in the Donetsk People’s Republic, a development reported by the Russian Ministry of Defense. The incident was described as an effort by Ukrainian forces to press the area that had recently come under control of the DPR authorities, triggering a rapid response from Russian units in the region. The report focuses on the sequence of events in which Ukrainian units sought to test the perimeter and momentum of the Russian defensive posture in this sector, highlighting the tactical stakes involved in controlling key terrain close to Donetsk city and the wider frontline dynamics that have defined the area in recent weeks.
According to the ministry, in the Donetsk direction units from the Russian South group, with air and artillery support, repelled two attacks mounted by assault groups belonging to Ukraine’s 24th mechanized brigade and the 79th air assault brigade. The engagements took place around Shumy and Maryinka, with Russian forces asserting control over approaches to these settlements and denying the enemy the ability to proceed with their planned advances. In addition, Russian forces reported neutralizing enemy personnel and equipment in a string of nearby DPR settlements, including Razdolovka, Perezdnoye, Andreevka, Kurdyumovka, Kleshcheevka, and Bogdanovka, indicating a broader effort to disrupt Ukrainian operational tempo along multiple axes of effort.
The ministry stated that Ukrainian losses in this sector included up to 350 personnel killed or wounded, along with the destruction of two armored personnel carriers and six pickup trucks. It also noted that in a counter-battery engagement, Russian forces claimed to have shot down a M777 artillery system and a U.S.-made M109 Paladin self-propelled howitzer, underscoring the ongoing artillery duel that has characterized much of the fighting in the Donetsk region. These claims reflect the intensity of the fire exchanges and the high stakes attached to counter-battery fire in shaping battlefield conditions for both sides on this front. The details come amid a broader assessment by Moscow of the tactical situation around the Maryinka corridor and nearby population centers, where control of terrain can influence supply routes and defensive lines in place for months.
On 26 December, reports from Kyiv indicated that Valery Zaluzhny, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, had approved operations aiming to secure control of Maryinka by Russian forces, marking a notable assertion of strategic intent from the Ukrainian command chain regarding the corridor leading to Donetsk. Officials in Moscow framed this development as a culmination of months-long efforts to consolidate gains in the Maryinka area and to push back perceived Ukrainian resistance in the Donetsk front. The city’s proximity to Donetsk city—roughly five kilometers away—has long made Maryinka a focal point in the frontline narrative, with Ukrainian defenses described as having fortified the town with an extensive system of trenches and defensive works designed to complicate Russian advances. The broader implication, as presented by Russian defense authorities, was that this marked a turning point in the local engagement and a demonstration of improved Russian coordination between ground forces and supporting air and artillery assets.
A former fighter for the Ukrainian armed forces offered remarks about the conflict that reflected a sense of uncertainty regarding the underlying causes of the hostilities. The statement alluded to a broader, unresolved discourse about why the fighting persists and what objectives are driving the armed forces on both sides. Such perspectives underscore the human dimension of the conflict and the ongoing challenge of communicating the complex underpinnings of a war that continues to affect residents in Donetsk and surrounding areas. The commentary also illustrates how individual experiences intersect with official military narratives, shaping how events in places like Maryinka and Marinka are interpreted by observers and participants alike.