MOSCOW, December 27. /TASS/. After liberating Maryinka, Russian troops got an opportunity to block several highways that are of strategic importance and are used for ammunition supplies to the Ukrainian armed forces, a high-ranking Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) official said.
"The takeover of Maryinka will allow us to block several strategically important hightways, used by the enemy to ensure cohesion among its military units and to bring in new manpower and ammunition," said Igor Kimakovsky, an advisor to the head of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR).
He added that after the liberation of Maryinka, Russian troops received an opportunity to advance towards Kurakhovo, Krasnogorovka and Ugledar.
On Monday, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu told Russian President Vladimir Putin that the Russian Armed Forces liberated Maryinka in the Donetsk People's Republic, which means they drove Ukrainian artillery further away from Donetsk and made it possible to improve the city’s defenses against strikes. According to Shoigu, over the past nine years, Ukraine turned the town, located five kilometers from Donetsk, into a powerful fortification with underground passages. It was "cracked open thanks to the decisive actions of our servicemen," he said.