Russia Captures Maryinka in Eastern Ukraine

Russian troops have gained full control of the eastern Ukrainian town of Maryinka, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on December 25. The capture is considered Russia’s biggest military success since the capture of Bakhmut in May.

In a televised briefing, Shoigu told President Vladimir Putin that Russian assault units had “completely liberated” Maryinka, which lies just southwest of the Russia-held regional capital of Donetsk.

“I want to congratulate you. This is a success,” Putin told Shoigu, adding that the Russian forces now had the “opportunity to move into a wider operational area.”

Fortification to rubble: Maryinka, once home to 10,000 people, was completely evacuated after Russia’s invasion began in early 2022. The area had remained in Ukrainian hands throughout the war and was “powerfully fortified” and “connected by underground passages,” Shoigu said.

Ukrainian Gen. Valerii Zaluzhnyi confirmed Tuesday that Ukrainian troops had withdrawn from Maryinka. The town had been held for almost two years, but was destroyed “street by street, house by house,” he said.

“Maryinka is no more,” he added.

Putin persists: Russia’s victory in Maryinka underscores that Putin’s ambitions persist as he is fiercely determined to continue subjugating Ukraine no matter the cost. Whether Russia wins the war entirely or not, Bible prophecy shows that Putin will not back down and will go on to fight much larger wars in the future.

Learn more: Read our free booklet The Prophesied ‘Prince of Russia.’