The defenders of Mariupol (Donetsk region) have pinned down the forces of the Russian invaders who are trying to take the city and do not allow them to disperse to other areas, Deputy Defense Minister of Ukraine Hanna Maliar has said.

"The powerful defense of Mariupol did not allow the enemy to disperse forces to other directions. It places its forces in different directions, but if there is such a powerful defense, then it saves other directions, for example, Kryvy Rih or Zaporizhia," Maliar said on the air of the national telethon on Thursday.

She also said that, despite the losses, the enemy did not give up their goals in the war.

"Even when we talk about any temporary changes, for example, the conditional withdrawal of troops from Kyiv and Chernihiv regions, it should be understood that this is not a voluntary withdrawal, but the result of the work of the Armed Forces of Ukraine," the deputy minister stressed.

She noted that while in some areas the enemy is withdrawing its troops, in others, on the contrary, there is an increase in the enemy's military force.

"The situation cannot be unambiguously commented on throughout the country or given one assessment. Each region has its own situation," Maliar summed up.