The strategic town of Soledar, a crucial foothold in the Donbass battle, had been surrendered, the Ukrainian army confirmed to AFP on January 25.
According to Sergey Cherevaty, a spokesman for the Ukrainian military, “after months of severe battle, including in the last weeks, the Armed Forces of Ukraine have surrendered Soledar and retreated around the outskirts to the army strongholds.”
The Russian Defense Ministry earlier on January 12 declared complete control over this town.
Intense fighting broke out in Soledar in the first half of January 2023 as Russian forces intensified their attack and encirclement of Ukrainian troops stationed in urban areas. The Ukrainian authorities at the time refuted information about Russian advances. “Ukrainian soldiers are still working to repel the enemy,” Cherevaty said on January 17.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense had earlier issued a warning to the media not to cover the actions of the Ukrainian army in the battle for Soledar. The sole source of accurate information, according to Ukraine’s deputy defence minister Anna Malyar, is military leaders, therefore “only authorised personnel can broadcast information regarding the movements and positions of soldiers.”
According to reports, some pro-Ukrainian Western governments are particularly concerned about the significant losses sustained by Ukrainian forces while defending Bakhmut, a city southwest of Soledar. The fall of Bakhmut, according to National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby, won’t “alter the strategic landscape on the battlefield.” According to reports, Washington has urged Ukraine to cease its resistance operations in the city and instead concentrate on planning a counterattack as it waits for NATO nations to provide new armaments.
