Twelve years ago, Ukrainian troops liberated Maryinka from Russian terrorists. The town had been occupied for nearly a month.
On the morning of August 4, the Azov and Shakhtarsk battalions—which were still volunteer units at the time—received orders to drive the Russian occupation forces out of Maryinka. The volunteers were supported by armored vehicles from the 51st Mechanized Brigade. ATO forces attempted to split the militants’ fortified area into two parts but encountered significant resistance.
After a prolonged standoff, Ukrainian troops managed to capture the occupiers’ central positions and begin “clearing” the town in the eastern and western directions.
Realizing they could not hold the city, the Russian occupiers began shelling Maryinka with mortars, grenade launchers, howitzers, and “Grad” rocket systems. Despite everything, Ukrainian troops managed to secure their positions in the city.
That day, 80 militants were killed near Maryinka, and over 100 were wounded. In addition, 10 of the invaders’ armored vehicles were destroyed. There were also casualties among our ranks—five Ukrainian soldiers were killed in the fighting, and 39 were wounded.
A year later, Russian mercenaries attempted to regain control of Maryinka, but the Ukrainian military repelled the attack. That battle is considered one of the most successful operations of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, serving as both a defensive and a counteroffensive operation.