Ukraine, Russia publish videos from Myrnohrad, claim control of front-line town
Ukrainian and Russian troops have been publishing conflicting claims, and videos, of who controls the front-line town of Myrnohrad, located just northeast of embattled Pokrovsk.
Ukraine's Armed Forces issued a statement on Dec. 28, alleging they continue to hold key positions in the front-line city of Myrnohrad in Donetsk Oblast. The Air Assault Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine released a video of the ongoing combat operations in the Corps' defense sector.
"Unable to gain control of the city, the enemy has resorted to propagandist actions on the southern outskirts of Myrnohrad. The primary target of these actions appears to be their domestic audience, who remain in a constant state of pre-New Year’s intoxication," the Air Assault Forces said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Russian state-controlled media began circulating videos online of what appears to be Russian soldiers raising flags in several of the town's destroyed neighborhoods.
In one instance, a Russian soldier dressed as Father Frost (Santa Claus) raises a Russian flag on top of heavily damaged building in an unidentified location.
There have been isolated instances of Russian troops covertly infiltrating the central areas of Myrnohrad, according to Ukrainian reports.
The conflicting reports come after Russian claimed of occupying the front-line cities of Myrnohrad in Donetsk Oblast and Huliaipole in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. The General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces dismissed these claims on Dec. 27, calling them false and "a weapon of disinformation."
Pokrovsk, a key fortress city in Donetsk Oblast, has been one of the most fiercely contested areas of the front line, with Ukrainian forces holding off a major Russian assault for the past year. Myrnohrad is a satellite town of Pokrovsk, located less than 3 kilometers (2 miles) away.
Favorable weather, including fog and rain that limit Ukrainian drone operations, allowed Russian forces to advance in the area this fall by moving in small groups without heavy equipment. Russian soldiers also disguised themselves in civilian clothes, a move that violates the laws of war.
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Abbey Fenbert
Dmytro Basmat
