<div><b><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Russia on Monday said its forces now fully controlled the town of Maryinka in eastern Ukraine, which President Vladimir Putin hailed as a “success” that would mean less shelling on the nearby Russian-held city of Donetsk.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>“Our assault units have today completely liberated the settlement of Maryinka,” Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu told Putin in a meeting shown on state television.</div><div><br></div><div>Piles of rubble and gutted apartment buildings over a wide area could be seen in drone images shown on Russian television that were said to be of Maryinka.</div><div><br></div><div>“I want to congratulate you,” Putin told Shoigu.</div><div><br></div><div>“This is a success” which gives Russian troops “the opportunity to move into a wider operational area.”</div><div><br></div><div>Shoigu said the control of Maryinka would enable his soldiers to “move further in this direction” and “make it possible to protect Donetsk more effectively from strikes” from Ukrainian forces.</div><div><br></div><div>But Oleksandr Shtupun, a spokesman for Ukraine’s army, said it was “incorrect” to claim that Maryinka was fully controlled by Russian forces.</div><div><br></div><div>“The fighting for Maryinka continues,” he said, adding that there were still Ukrainian soldiers within the borders of the district of Maryinka.</div><div><br></div><div>“The town is completely destroyed,” he said.</div><div><br></div><div>The claims could not be independently verified.</div><div><br></div><div>A counter-offensive by Ukrainian forces which started in June along the front line in the south and east of the country has largely petered out, with few successes.</div><div><br></div><div>Russian forces have increased pressure in recent weeks. - AFP&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>