DONETSK, October 19. /TASS/. Russian marines eliminated more than 100 Ukrainian servicemen in the mines in Dobropolye, Grisha Stepanyan, commander of the assault combat battalion of the Battlegroup Center’s 61st Separate Guards Marine Brigade, told TASS.
"We realized that if we cleared the mine of enemy troops and secured a foothold there, it would be easier to advance even deeper. Yes, during the fighting in the mines, more than a hundred [of enemy troops surrendered], something like that," the commander said.
Earlier, the commander told TASS that fighting for Dobropolye took place largely in mine workings.
On October 16, Chief of the Russian General Staff Valery Gerasimov reported to President Vladimir Putin that the Battlegroup Center had liberated the city of Dobropolye.
Dobropolye is one of the largest cities in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), with a well-developed road infrastructure. Since 2014, the Ukrainian armed forces have used the city to provide logistical support for their troops in the northern part of the region.