According to Russian state television’s war correspondent, alarm bells are ringing for Russian troops fighting in Bakhmut. In view of the successes of the Ukrainian attack on the flanks of the Wagner mercenary force fighting in the city, there is a risk of a comprehensive encirclement, Russian state television war correspondent Yevgeny Poddubny wrote on Telegram yesterday.
The Russian Defense Ministry, however, contradicted reports of advances by Ukrainian troops. “The general situation in the area of special military operations is under control,” the ministry said.
Poddubny also reported Ukrainian advances in the fighting around Soledar, which is just a few kilometers northeast of Bakhmut. There, Ukrainian combat groups managed to break through the Russian lines. “The situation is difficult,” wrote Poddubny. Russian forces only took Soledar at the end of January, after weeks of intense fighting.
The information cannot be independently verified. The Ukrainian military leadership has not provided any information about this so far, only talking about heavy fighting near Bakhmut.