The Ukrainian army was still defending Soledar on Thursday despite a “difficult” situation and “fierce fighting” in this small town in eastern Ukraine that Russian forces are trying to conquer at all costs to reverse the course of the war.
“The fiercest and fiercest fighting continues today in the Soledar area“, said Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Ganna Maliar at a press conference. According to her, “despite a difficult situation, Ukrainian soldiers are fighting tirelessly“.
Formerly known for its salt mines, Soledar is indeed located 15 km northeast of the city of Bakhmout that Russian forces have been trying to take for months.
For the military analyst Anatoly Khramchikhine, the capture of Soledar, a small town of around 10,000 inhabitants before the war, now completely destroyed, would allow Moscow to finally brandish a military victory, after a series of humiliating setbacks. “Any win is important, especially because there hasn’t been a win in a while“, he underlines.