Defense minister: Mariupol under secure Ukrainian control
KYIV. Feb 11 (Interfax) - Ukraine's defense minister claimed on Wednesday that Mariupol is under Ukrainian military defense as strong as to rule out it being surrendered to militia forces.
"Mariupol is in secure hands, it is under strong defense, there are reserves there, and so there is no threat," Stepan Poltorak told reporters in Kyiv.
He described Tuesday's capture of villages east of Mariupol by Ukrainian forces as a measure compliant with the Minsk agreements. "Yesterday the Ukrainian armed forces took measures to expand [Ukraine-controlled] territory in compliance with the Minsk agreements, and there is no threat there," he said.
On Tuesday, Ukraine's Azov special forces regiment said Ukrainian forces had seized positions forming a line running through the villages of Shyrokyne, Kominternove and Pavlopil of Volnovakha district and were fighting to wrench the village of Sakhanka from the militia.
The same day National Security and Defense Council Secretary Olexander Turchynov also said Shyrokyne, Pavlopil and Kominternove were back under Ukrainian control, and said Ukrainian forces had, moreover, taken Lebenynske, Berdyanske and other villages.