Soledar

Capturing Soledar would be seen as a win for Russian forces, who have experienced months of military losses.

So we can only speculate that the fighting there [in Soledar] is particularly intense because it is of such strategic and military importance. “Soledar is a salt-mining town … “The whole land near Soledar is covered with the corpses of the occupiers and scars from the strikes.

Moscow's troops see the capture of Soledar as a way to envelop the strategic front-line town of Bakhmut.

Everything in the area is completely destroyed, there is almost no life left. And the icing on the cake is the system of Soledar and Bakhmut salt mines, actually a network of underground tunnels. People do, have done, and will keep doing incredible things,” the 46th brigade said in Prigozhin has claimed that every house is a fortification in Bakhmut and soldiers have to fight for every 300 meters there. “It is a unique landscape — ravines and heights, which are natural tunnels. Both sides are likely concerned that they could be used for infiltration behind their lines,” the ministry added.

The fall of the small town of Soledar would allow Russian troops to encircle the city of Bakhmut.

In the reported statement late on Tuesday, Mr Prigozhin said: "Wagner units took control of the entire territory of Soledar. Russia could use access to Soledar's deep, city-like network of salt mine tunnels, dormant since April, to penetrate Ukrainian-controlled territory. The Institute for the Study of War, a US-based think-tank, has said that Mr Prigozhin, "will continue to use both confirmed and fabricated Wagner Group success in Soledar and Bakhmut to promote the Wagner Group as the only Russian force in Ukraine capable of securing tangible gains". Our fighters are defending bravely," she added. The UK said earlier on Tuesday that Russian troops and the mercenary Wagner Group were "likely" to now be in control of the town. The statement stressed that only Wagner fighters - who are not part of the Russian armed forces - were taking part "in the storming" of Soledar.

The Wagner Group's mercenary formations appear to have gained control over the greater part of Soledar, a salt-mining town just north of Bakhmut in the ...

[reported](https://www.facebook.com/butusov.yuriy/posts/pfbid0u1uDwu4y8SKjozG8xpXJP61A9H4iruACgoGB5i35zafoMJhiiMcmLUKFKePq2oC4l) from Soledar that a “threatening situation” had developed in the town. [video](https://t.me/V_Zelenskiy_official/4710) on the war’s 320th day, Zelensky said that the town had been practically demolished, with next to no life left, and that thousands of Russians had been killed and now lie strewn about the area. “Russian assault groups are being destroyed one by one in short-range contact battles, but they continue to attack and bring in reserves,” he said, adding that the Ukrainian troops are struggling with cold weather, as temperatures sometimes drop to –18 C (just below 0 F). Zelensky said that the combat zone stretching between Ukraine’s Donetsk and Luhansk regions is currently the “hottest” segment of the front. [acknowledged](https://t.me/concordgroup_official/244) that the Ukrainian army was defending Soledar’s western outskirts with great spirit and bravery, and that rumors of desertion in the Ukrainian ranks were completely untrue. Russian forces have reached a position that gives them fire access to the main Ukrainian supply line in Soledar. Maliar explained that “a large number of assault units” formed from the Wagner Group’s “best reserves” has been deployed in the new assault, and that Russian troops were “literally advancing over their own soldiers’ dead bodies, with massive use of artillery, multiple rocket launchers, and mortars that cover even their own fighters with fire.” “Combat footage widely circulated on social media on January 9 shows Wagner Group fighters engaging in fierce small arms combat near the city administration building in central Soledar,” notes ISW. The Russian forces, reports ISW, have secured new lines by Soledar and Bakhmut. Bakhmut itself, notes the UK’s Defense Intelligence, probably remains the main objective of the Russian offensive, but it’s unlikely to be fully surrounded in the nearest future. [reports](https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-january-9-2023) the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), citing Russian military bloggers. [reported](https://twitter.com/DefenceHQ/status/1612694326710079488) by the British Defense Ministry in its January 10 morning intelligence update.

Russian troops have stepped up an assault on the small salt mining town of Soledar in eastern Ukraine, forcing Ukrainian troops to repel waves of attacks ...

[Colonel-General Alexander Lapin](/world/europe/russia-appoints-new-ground-forces-chief-staff-despite-hawks-criticism-2023-01-10/) as chief of staff of the country's ground forces, state-owned news agency TASS reported, despite criticism from hawks over his performance in Ukraine. The spokesperson said that Britain would continue to co-ordinate its support with allies after Germany, France and the United States all indicated last week they would provide [armoured vehicles](/world/europe/what-is-bradley-fighting-vehicle-2023-01-06/). Ukraine and its allies accuse Moscow of an unprovoked war to seize territory. 24, citing threats to its own security and a need to protect Russian speakers. Gaining control of Bakhmut could give Russia a platform to advance on two bigger cities - Kramatorsk and Sloviansk. "So many remain on the battlefield ...

Yevgeny Prigozhin poses with some of his mercenaries in Ukrainian town renowned for its salt mines.

Prigozhin, a St Petersburg restaurant owner who rose to fame as “Putin’s chef” – and until earlier this year denied being behind Wagner – has taken on a much more public role since the invasion. Ukraine’s robust defence of Bakhmut has also given the city symbolic importance to Kyiv. He said Russian forces had taken huge losses in the battle. Both sides are likely concerned that they could be used for infiltration behind their lines,” said the briefing. The number of prisoners taken will be announced tomorrow.” [Ukraine](https://www.theguardian.com/world/ukraine), told Russia’s Channel One that Soledar had been taken.

There has been fighting near entrances to 200km-long tunnels, which could be used for infiltration.

In the reported statement late on Tuesday, Mr Prigozhin said: "Wagner units took control of the entire territory of Soledar. Russia could use access to Soledar's deep, city-like network of salt mine tunnels, dormant since April, to penetrate Ukrainian-controlled territory. The Institute for the Study of War, a US-based think-tank, has said that Mr Prigozhin, "will continue to use both confirmed and fabricated Wagner Group success in Soledar and Bakhmut to promote the Wagner Group as the only Russian force in Ukraine capable of securing tangible gains". Our fighters are defending bravely," she added. The UK said earlier on Tuesday that Russian troops and the mercenary Wagner Group were "likely" to now be in control of the town. The statement stressed that only Wagner fighters - who are not part of the Russian armed forces - were taking part "in the storming" of Soledar.

Eastern Ukrainian town renowned for its salt mines has been the centre of days of fierce fighting.

A cauldron has been formed in the centre of the city in which urban fighting is going on,” Russian news agencies reported “The number of prisoners will be announced tomorrow,” Prigozhin added. He did not provide details.

The head of Russia's private military firm Wagner has stated that his forces have taken control of the eastern Ukrainian mining town of Soledar, ...

“Even taking the most generous Russian claims at face value, the capture of Soledar would not portend an immediate encirclement of Bakhmut. “Wagner units took control of the entire territory of Soledar. They are unlikely to constitute a credible offensive force,” the British ministry of defence said. “I maybe passed out for a second,” Kaharlytskyi recalled Tuesday. Washington has said Prigozhin may want personal control of the area’s mines. "Wagner units took control of the entire territory of Soledar. With some appearing with ‘Z’ markings, the aircraft landed at Machulishchy Air Base near Minsk,” the MoD said. The Ukrainian military’s morning summary made one mention of Soledar, listing the town as one of several being shelled in the Donetsk region. But the situation in and around Soledar appeared fluid. [Russia](https://www.independent.co.uk/topic/russia), a senior Tory MP has said. “It is now 2023. Reuters was unable to verify conditions on the ground.