Donetsk.- Russia claimed it had conquered the Ukrainian city of Soledar after a fierce battle, but Ukraine denied this and stated that “heavy fighting” for control of that town in the east of the country continues.
“The liberation of the city of Soledar, which is important for the successful pursuit of offensive operations (in the Donetsk region), was completed on the afternoon of January 12,” the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.
The Ukrainian Army immediately denied the fall of that town, with 10,000 inhabitants before the war and practically destroyed by bombing.
“Heavy fighting continues in Soledar,” spokesman for the Eastern Command of the Ukrainian Army, Sergei Cherevaty, told television.
“Ukrainian Armed Forces are keeping the situation under control under difficult conditions.”
Cherevaty accused Moscow of “spreading ‘informational noise'” to provoke the “mistrust of Ukrainians towards their Army”.
Thus, he urged not to interpret “small withdrawals or maneuvers” as a “big defeat.”
The fighting in the area began several months ago and has concentrated in Soledar in recent days.
Ukrainian forces are fighting there against mercenaries from the Russian paramilitary group Wagner.
The Russian Army praised the “brave and selfless actions” of the fighters of that group, whose members carried out a “direct assault on the residential neighborhoods of Soledar.”
This is an unusual statement, as the Russian army and Wagner’s paramilitaries have shown signs of rivalry on the ground during the Ukrainian offensive.
‘difficult phase’
A few hours earlier, the Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister, Ganna Malyar, admitted that “the enemy (…) maintains a high-intensity offensive.”
The capture of Soledar would mean an important symbolic military victory for Moscow, after the setbacks suffered by its troops since September.
According to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a US-based organization that follows the fighting in real time, the fall of Soledar “would not herald an imminent siege by Bakhmut,” the main city in the area, 15 kilometers to the southwest.
“Nor would it allow Russian forces to control important Ukrainian land lines of communication,” he said.
On Wednesday, the head of the Wagner group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, claimed that his men controlled the town, but both the Kremlin and the Ukrainian authorities quickly denied this.
In its daily bulletin, the ISW said it believed that “Russian forces probably captured Soledar on January 11,” meaning Wednesday.
In support of his claim, he shows geotagged photos released on January 11 and 12 that indicate that Russian forces probably control most, if not all, of Soledar and have likely driven Ukrainian forces from the city’s western periphery. .
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky promised to deliver all the necessary military equipment to defend Soledar and Bakhmut.
‘We are afraid’
In Siversk, 25 kilometers north of Soledar, artillery fire was heard. On the streets covered by a thin layer of snow, only a few inhabitants and soldiers walked under a freezing wind.
“We are scared, but where can we go?” wondered Oleksandre Sirenko, 55, as he collected pieces of wood from burst window frames to use as firewood.
“We just hope that the Ukrainian army will not back down,” he declared.
In the Kharkiv region, in northeastern Ukraine, a Russian bombardment killed two women, aged 59 and 64, according to the regional Governor.
‘De facto member of NATO’
Ukraine once again asked its Western allies for more weapons and military equipment to face the Russian offensive, which began on February 24.
“To win this war, we need more military equipment, heavy equipment,” urged Andrii Yermak of the Ukrainian Presidency.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov estimated that his country became a “de facto” member of NATO, the Western transatlantic alliance.
“It’s a fact. We have the weaponry and the understanding of how to use it,” Reznikov told the BBC.
Russia again replaced the commander of the offensive in Ukraine this week. He appointed General Valeri Gerasimov, Joint Chief of Staff, who is a direct interlocutor of Russian President Vladimir Putin, to the post.
Gerasimov replaced Sergei Surovikin, who had agreed to that position just three months ago.
The UN Security Council is scheduled to meet this Friday to address the situation in Ukraine.
