Russia’s army appears to be capturing a strategically important city in the Donbass. The Kremlin speaks of a “liberation”: satellite images show the horror.
Update from Wednesday, January 18, 2:23 p.m.: There are increasing indications that the Russian army has in fact occupied the city of Soledar in the Donbass. After repeated calls from the Kremlin that the area was under Russian control, the commander of a Ukrainian drone unit said so Telegram.
“As of 5:30 p.m., enemy assault units occupied the industrial zone near mine number 7, which is located on the administrative border of the city of Soledar and frames its western outskirts,” he said. Nevertheless, there are still heavy fights, he explained. The front lines would only have shifted in the direction of the city limits.
Russia in the Ukraine war: satellite images show destruction
After numerous Russian missile attacks, Soledar resembles a pile of rubble with craters. The infrastructure lies fallow, many residential buildings were destroyed. This is reported by numerous international aid organizations. Satellite images from the US company “Maxar Technologies” also confirm this. For example, several photos show destroyed buildings, including a school.
Putin between PR battle and “Pyrrhic victory” – Russia has a new war goal
Update from Tuesday, January 17, 1:45 p.m.: Heavy fighting continues around the town of Soledar in eastern Ukraine. After repeated reports from the Russian military leadership and the “Wagner” mercenary group that Soledar had long since been taken, the authorities installed by the Kremlin have commented on the situation. “On the territory of the Donetsk People’s Republic, Russian troops liberated Soledar,” said a post on Telegram. So far there has been no statement from Kyiv. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a speech on Monday evening that the Russian army was increasingly besieging the region around the cities of Soledar and Bakhmut. “We’ll see what Russia is preparing here,” said Zelenskyy.
The battle for Soledar is evolving from a military arena to a PR battle. Experts from the think tank “Institute for the Study of War” recently described Russia’s actions as “grueling” and “tactical”. The capture of the eastern Ukrainian city degenerated into a “Pyrrhic victory” (see first report). Commander Valery Gerassimov, recently appointed commander of the Russian armed forces by Putin, announced on Friday that they intend to take Donbass by March at the latest. According to the Ukrainian secret service, a security zone is also planned by Russia, as a spokesman for the Ukrainska Pravda said. No further details were given.
Russia in the Ukraine War: Troops attack Soledar
First report from Friday, January 13, 11:00 a.m.: Donetsk/Moscow – Russia is currently attacking the Donbass in the east of the Ukraine on. In particular, the city of Soledar (Donetsk Oblast) comes into focus, it is close to the embattled city of Bakhmut. Soledar is considered a strategically important access point for the Russian military to encircle Ukrainian troops in Bakhmut, as shown in a analysis of the think tank “Institute for the Study of War” (ISW).
The Battle for Soledar, and finally Bachmut, has long since lost any military-tactical background. Both Soledar and Bachmut lie in ruins, numerous rocket attacks have made the cities uninhabitable in many places. The infrastructure has also suffered greatly as a result. Rather, it is about symbolic politics. Russia apparently wants to achieve a victory after numerous defeats. Vladimir Putin’s The goal of completely taking over the Donbass has already failed several times. Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the mercenary group “Wagner” and known as “Putin’s Chef”recently confirmed that the main issue in the Bakhmut region is the attrition of Ukrainian forces.
Russia and Ukraine fighting over Soledar: is Putin expecting a ‘Pyrrhic victory’?
another assessment According to the ISW experts, the Russian troops probably managed to take Soledar in the Ukraine war. “Russian forces likely captured Soledar after committing significant resources to an extremely attrition tactical victory,” reads the analysis. The assessment is based on localized images of the institute. As mentioned by the experts, The heavy losses of the Russian military are also piling up in this region. According to the ISW, it was a “Pyrrhic victory”. A “Pyrrhic victory” is a victory that is accompanied by a large number of casualties.
The assessment of the ISW has not yet been confirmed by the government in Kyiv nor the government in Moscow. The President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday evening (January 12), on the other hand, assured the Ukrainian troops that the situation was “difficult”.
In comparison, the Russian side said that enormous progress was being made in Donetsk Oblast. Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said, according to a report by the state news agency TASSthat Russian troops had cordoned off Soledar from the north and south and fighting was taking place within the city.
Fighting in Soledar in the Ukraine war: Wagner boss claims income – Ukraine denies
This was also confirmed by the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense on Friday morning. “It was a hot night in Soledar. Fighting continued,” said Deputy Defense Minister Ganna Maljar. “Wagner” boss Prigoschin contradicted this in turn: He claimed Soledar had long been taken. None of these statements can actually be independently verified, the majority of them come from warring factions in the country Ukraine conflict. (do)