The Armed Forces of Ukraine control 50% of the Donetsk region, Head of the Donetsk Regional Administration Pavel Kirilenko told an employee of the Eastern Europe bureau of Report in Donbas.
He said that the situation in the region remains tense: “Military operations and skirmishes continue along the entire frontline. The city of Volnovakha was completely destroyed. At present, the positions of the Ukrainian armed forces have been redeployed to areas that need to be strengthened. The fighting is going on in the area of Avdiivka, Marinka, Kramatorsk, Sloviansk, Lyman. Ukraine’s Armed Forces have been strengthened.”
Kirilenko emphasized that they are able to hold their positions as long as necessary, and, if possible, go on the counteroffensive: “In general, as of today, 258 people have been killed and 854 injured in the region. Ukrainian Armed Forces control 50% of the territory of the region. As for the territories that the Russian side occupied, based on the information we have and the actions of the Russian side, we can say that the Ukrainian flag continues to fly over the city of Mariupol. Some 90% of the city has been destroyed.”
The head of the regional administration noted that the situation is similar in Volnovakha city: “The city is completely destroyed. For this reason, the armed forces of Ukraine have moved to positions from where they can better organize defense, so that after receiving appropriate support and regrouping, they can go on the counteroffensive.”
Report presents photos prepared by the agency’s employee from Donbas.