Village of Varvarivka on Huliaipole axis not occupied, fighting ongoing – military spox

Russian forces have not occupied the village of Varvarivka on the Huliaipole axis, with heavy fighting ongoing there and on its outskirts.

Vladyslav Voloshyn, spokesperson for Ukraine's Southern Defense Forces, said this in a comment to Ukrinform.

According to him, the settlements of Varvarivka, Dobropillia, and Pryluky are located on an important logistics route linking the village of Pokrovske in the Dnipropetrovsk Region with Huliaipole.

"Fierce fighting is ongoing there, and enemy groups are also trying to infiltrate, move closer to our positions, and even penetrate deeper into our rear. However, we are destroying the enemy there, and it is not correct to say that Varvarivka has been occupied – fighting is currently taking place on the outskirts of this settlement," Voloshyn said.

The spokesperson also added that weather conditions had complicated the situation on the axis and facilitated the enemy's attempts to act covertly.

"There was dense fog, rain, and drizzle here, which helped the enemy try to slip into our rear unnoticed. As a result, there were combat engagements, and we recorded them near the settlement of Varvarivka," he said.

On December 14, Russian troops carried out 13 assault operations on the Huliaipole axis. Ukrainian defenders repelled the attacks in the areas of Solodke, Huliaipole, and toward Varvarivka.

Photo provided by Vladyslav Voloshyn