KYIV --Russia on December 25 said its forces had captured the strategic Donetsk region town of Maryinka in eastern Ukraine, but Kyiv disputed the claim, reporting that its troops had repelled three “unsuccessful attacks” near the ruined and nearly deserted community.
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"It's not correct to talk about seizing Maryinka," Ukrainian military spokesman Oleksandr Shtupun told Ukrainian TV following claims made by Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu during a televised meeting with President Vladimir Putin.
"The fighting for Maryinka continues,” Shtupun said.
“Currently, our servicemen are within the administrative borders of Maryinka, but the city has been completely destroyed,” he added.
Maryinka is a relatively small town -- with a prewar population under 10,000 -- but, according to British intelligence, the Russian military has been seeking to capture it in order to advance further west and better protect occupied Donetsk city.
The fighting comes as Ukraine celebrated Christmas on December 25 for the first time instead of the traditional January date of past years.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy signed a law in July moving the official holiday to December 25 from January 7, the day observed by the Russian Orthodox Church. The law stated its goal was to “abandon the Russian heritage” following Moscow's decision to invade in February 2022.
The switch brings Ukraine's Orthodox worshippers in line with the country's Catholics, who earlier this year approved a similar change in calendars.
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Ukraine’s military on Christmas Day said its forces shot down dozens of Iranian-made Shahed drones and claimed to have blasted another two Russian fighter jets from the sky, adding to previous claims of mounting success against enemy air assaults.
Ukrainian military authorities said the jets had been downed late on December 24, following reports that the country’s forces had shot down three jets in the previous two days, as Kyiv and Moscow exchanged unconfirmed claims that enemy warplanes had been downed. It also said 38 Shahed drones had been shot down.
One of the Russian jets was downed in the area of occupied Mariupol, a Ukrainian official said.
"It has been confirmed that our anti-aircraft missile system hit an Su-34 fighter-bomber in the Mariupol sector. It did not return to its airfield," Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk said on Telegram,
Reports from either side could not immediately be independently verified.
But they come as Kyiv awaits delivery in the coming days of the long-desired first shipment of advanced F-16 fighter jets as Ukraine attempts to counter Russia’s air supremacy over occupied territory.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian military spokesman Shtupun in Ukraine’s Tavria region said Russian occupying forces are "increasingly" refusing to take part in assault operations at the front lines.
“There is information about an increasing number of occupiers' refusals to participate in assault operations. In particular, this was seen in the units of [Russia’s] 1st Army Corps," he said.
Elsewhere on the battlefield, the Ukrainian military reported the movement of Russian tanks in the Mariupol district.
"Over the weekend, the movement of tanks -- at least five units -- with modern modifications was detected through Mariupol in the direction of Berdyansk," said Petro Andryushchenko, an adviser to Ukraine’s Mariupol mayor.
Mariupol was occupied by Russian troops in the spring of 2022 after a long siege and street fighting. The city was badly damaged. Currently, it is located at a considerable distance from the front line, but Ukrainian forces periodically launch missile strikes on Russian military facilities in Mariupol.
Ukraine also announced good news on Christmas Day on the economic front, saying it had received $1.34 billion in financing, mostly through the World Bank -- funds that will be partially used to compensate social programs for monies lost to security and defense financial needs.
The Finance Ministry said the package consisted of a $1.086 billion loan from the World Bank, a $190 million grant from Norway, $50 million from the United States, and $20 million from Switzerland.
"International financial assistance is a significant contribution to maintaining the financial and economic stability of Ukraine and allows us to ensure priority social expenditures during the war," Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko said.
"Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the governments of Japan, the United States, Norway, and Switzerland have repeatedly demonstrated their unwavering support and solidarity to Ukraine," he added.