Maryinka, a satellite town southwest of the city of Donetsk, has been a focal point of contention between the two sides since the start of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Recently, the Russian army has successfully controlled most of Maryinka, however, the Ukrainian army still relies on the ruins of dilapidated buildings and various underground bunkers as a defensive fulcrum, stubbornly resisting the Russian army's offensive. Behind this battle, it not only reflects the fierce confrontation between the two sides on the battlefield, but also indicates the direction of the future Russia-Ukraine conflict.
I. The background of the Battle of Maryinka.
Maryinka, as a transportation hub connecting the city of Kurakhovo and the city of Donetsk, has been favored by Ukraine and has become an important part of its strategy of besieging the "pro-Russian" Donetsk Republic. After the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Maryinka has become the focus of contention between the two sides. Ukraine** believes that as long as it can control Maryinka, it will be able to form a flanking attack on the city of Donetsk, thus forcing the Russian army to retreat. Therefore, Ukraine has invested a lot of troops in an attempt to force the Russian army to retreat by besieging Maryinka.
II. The Battle of Maryinka.
Since the start of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Maryinka has been in the midst of fierce fighting. The intensive artillery fire of the Russian army has turned the main city of Maryinka into ruins, but Maryinka, which has been operated by Ukraine for nearly 10 years, has long been "fortressed" and is still considered the "strongest ruin" in eastern Ukraine. The Ukrainian army used the city's extensive network of underground tunnels and permanent underground fortifications to launch a tragic "cat and mouse game" with the Russian army. Street battles between the two sides are often fierce and need to be described as "advancing several meters a day".
According to the Russian army, the Ukrainian defenders will launch more than 8 ** times a day against the Russian army's positions on average, and they do not spare their troops in the process of counterattacking. This unusual move made it difficult for the Russian army to adapt for a while. In order to expel the remaining personnel of the Ukrainian army from the underground of Maryinka, "the Russian commandos had to advance meter by meter." In addition to the 150th Motorized Infantry Division and the 5th Motorized Infantry Brigade that fought in Maryinka in early December, the Russian army successively invested the 33rd Motorized Infantry Regiment and the 39th Motorized Infantry Brigade as reinforcements to enter the south of the reservoir to attack the flank of the Ukrainian army.
Under the intensive blows of the heavy Russian army, the defense of the Ukrainian army in Maryinka has been constantly weakened, and the area under its control has also been shrinking. According to the Russian army, during the retreat, the Ukrainian army used mortars, grenade launchers, etc.** to carry out multiple rounds of shelling on the side of the Russian army in Maryinka. In general, the Ukrainian army hopes that the last stronghold in the city, as well as the second line of defense established near the reservoir, will delay the advance of the Russian army as much as possible. However, the two settlements between Kurakhovo and Maryinka: Maximyanovka and Georgievka simply could not stop the offensive of the Russian army. Therefore, in order to defend Kurakhovo, the Ukrainian army needs to construct at least 5 lines of defense in the short term to deal with the large-scale assault war that the Russian army is about to launch. However, due to time constraints, the first line of defense of the Ukrainian army will be built by the army, and the next four lines of defense will need to be built by mobilizing the Ukrainian people.
III. The Impact of the Battle of Maryinka.
The impact of the battle of Maryinka on the Russia-Ukraine conflict is far-reaching. First of all, the battle showed the fierce confrontation between the two sides on the battlefield. Both the Russian army and the Ukrainian army have invested a lot of troops in an attempt to change the tide of the war by taking control of Maryinka. This fierce confrontation not only reflects the determination and willpower of both sides on the battlefield, but also indicates the direction of future conflicts.
Secondly, the battle for Maryinka was an important blow for Ukraine**. Ukraine** had hoped to force Russian troops to retreat by taking control of Maryinka to form a flanking attack on the city of Donetsk. However, with the offensive of the Russian army and the retreat of the Ukrainian army, this plan of Ukraine** has failed. This will undoubtedly have an impact on the strategic decisions of Ukraine**.
Finally, the battle of Maryinka also indicates the future direction of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. With the offensive of the Russian army and the retreat of the Ukrainian army, the balance of forces between the two sides on the battlefield has changed. The future development of the Russia-Ukraine conflict will depend on the strategic decisions and military actions of both sides. What is certain, however, is that the conflict will continue to affect relations between Ukraine and Russia.
IV. Conclusions. The Battle of Maryinka is an important event in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. This battle not only reflects the fierce confrontation and determination and willpower of the two sides on the battlefield, but also predicts the direction of future conflicts. As the war develops and changes, we will continue to monitor the development and outcome of this conflict.