MOSCOW, January 9. /TASS/. The settlement of Kurakhovo in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) freed by the Russian Armed Forces was a major stronghold of the Ukrainian army comparable to Avdeyevka and Ugledar in terms of importance, Denis Pushilin, the republic’s head, told the Rossiya-24 TV channel.
"Kurakhovo is a settlement of critical importance for the enemy’s defense. The enemy was also establishing underground facilities there. This is a very strategic fortified area comparable to others, such as Avdeyevka or Ugledar in particular," he said.
He added that the enemy had used considerable forces in the battles for the city. The regional head cited the Russian Defense Ministry's data, according to which approximately 15,000 Ukrainian troops were involved in trying to hold the city. He emphasized that following the liberation of Kurakhovo, the enemy's ability to shell Donetsk’s Petrovsky and Kirovsky districts was limited.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported the liberation of Kurakhovo on January 6.