In a recent development, the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) has passed a law to establish a medal for the liberation of Maryinka. This announcement was made by the head of the republic, Denis Pushilin, at the international exhibition-festival “Russia” in Moscow, as reported by RIA Novosti.
Pushilin stated, “I believe it would be absolutely fair for all the individuals who were involved in the liberation of this city to be honored.”
Previously, retired British Colonel Richard Kemp had claimed that the retreat of the Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF) from Maryinka was another blow to the international support for Kiev. He expressed his opinion that the international support for Ukraine could weaken in the coming months, “and it will only get worse.”
On December 26, the Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Valeriy Zaluzhnyy, confirmed the capture of the city of Maryinka by the Russian army.
Prior to this, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu stated that Russia had finally taken control of Maryinka after months of intense fighting. This marked the first major success for the Russian army since the capture of Bachmut (Artemivsk) in May 2023. Maryinka, located approximately 5 km from Donetsk, had been turned into a fortress by the UAF with a vast system of trenches.
Earlier, a UAF fighter expressed his lack of understanding regarding the reasons behind the conflict in Ukraine.
