December proved to be most challenging month for Tavriia front – Ukrainian military official

December has been the most arduous month of the year for Ukraine's Defence Forces on the Tavriia front.

Source: Oleksandr Shtupun, spokesman for the Joint Press Centre of the Ukrainian Defence Forces on the Tavriia front, during the national joint 24/7 newscast

Quote: "The most challenging month, I believe, is the last one [of the year]. That's because the enemy is constantly storming [the towns of] Marinka and Avdiivka. They (the Russians) are suffering heavy losses, but they keep pushing forward. They are trying to capture them either by the end of the year or by some other deadline. But I believe that in terms of the frequency of attacks or the pressure on our formations, the last month of this year has been the toughest."

Details: Shtupun confirmed that Ukrainian troops are still present in the north of Marinka, with the Russian occupying forces continuing to target the Ukrainian troops with artillery. At the same time, the Russian soldiers are already attempting to exert more pressure on the village of Novomykhailivka.

Background:

• Russian propagandists announced that Russia's Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu had reported the capture of Marinka to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

• Oleksandr Shtupun has refuted the Russian propaganda claim that Russian forces have captured the city of Marinka in Donetsk Oblast. The officer said Ukrainian formations were present within the administrative boundaries of Marinka. "The city has been razed to the ground. But it’s wrong to say that Marinka has been completely captured."

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