See Ukrainian marines fighting near Kurakhove, just days before the key Donbas city fell to Russian forces

The city of Kurakhove, a key logistics hub in southern Donbas, is now almost entirely under Russian control. By mid-December, Russian forces had occupied most of the city, and on December 31, just hours before the New Year, they pushed Ukrainian troops out of the industrial zone. Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed the city’s capture nearly a week later, on January 6.

According to the Ukrainian OSINT project DeepState, which has ties to Ukraine’s Defense Ministry, Ukrainian forces still held several observation posts in Kurakhove as of the evening of January 6, including near the Kurakhove Thermal Power Plant. However, DeepState noted that their presence no longer had a significant impact on control of the city. Securing Kurakhove provides Russian forces with a strategic advantage for advancing westward, DeepState wrote. Meduza shares photographs of Ukrainian marines fighting near Kurakhove, taken on December 28, 2024.

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