The bodies of Russian soldiers “cover the ground” in a Ukrainian city that “is dead to death” amid fierce fighting, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said last night.
In Soledar, once a busy salt mining town in eastern Ukraine, the ground is now littered with a relentless stream of missiles and gunfire as Russian forces aim to seize control of the nearby and important town of Bakhmut.
Everything in the city was “completely destroyed,” no walls were left standing, and the bodies of invading Russian soldiers were decomposing on the streets, Zelensky said.
The Ukrainian army today claimed 710 of Vladimir Putin’s men were killed in one day of what has now been a ten-month war, another setback in Russia’s barbaric invasion.
But Britain’s Defense Ministry said today that Russian soldiers and forces from Putin’s Wagner contract group are likely to now have most of the salt mining town under control after progress over the past four days.
In Soledar, once a busy salt mining town in eastern Ukraine, the ground is now littered with a relentless stream of missiles and gunfire as Russian forces aim to seize control of the nearby and important town of Bakhmut. Pictured: A Ukrainian tank fires on Russian soldiers sheltering near a building in the devastated town of Soledar
Soledar, in the industrial Donbass region, is just nine miles from Bakhmut, where troops from both sides have suffered heavy casualties in some of the most intense trench warfare since Russia invaded Ukraine in February last year
But this rare Russian victory came at a heavy price for Putin’s men. Zelenskyy said on Monday evening that there was a bloodbath in Soledar.
“Everything is completely destroyed, there is almost no life left. Thousands of their people have been lost: all the land near Soledar is covered with the bodies of the occupying forces and scars from the beatings. This is what madness looks like,” said the Ukrainian leader.
Soledar, in the industrial Donbass region, is just nine miles from Bakhmut, where troops from both sides have suffered heavy casualties in some of the most intense trench warfare since Russia invaded Ukraine in February last year.
Russia is trying to take control of Bakhmut as it has a network of cavernous mining tunnels underground that can house troops or tanks.
Russian troops have intensified their attack on Soledar, forcing the Ukrainian troops to force wave after wave of attacks, led by the Wagner mercenaries.
“Russia’s Soledar axis is most likely an attempt to encircle Bakhmut from the north and cut off Ukrainian lines of communication,” Britain said in an intelligence briefing on Tuesday.
Smoke billows from strikes in the frontline town of Soledar as Russia’s assault on Ukraine continues, as seen from Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine January 5
Everything in the city was “completely destroyed,” no walls were left standing, and the bodies of invading Russian soldiers were decomposing on the streets, Zelensky said
The UK Ministry of Defense added: “Some of the fighting has focused on the approaches to the 200km of disused salt mine tunnels that run beneath the district. Both sides are likely concerned that they could be used to infiltrate behind their lines.’
“Despite increased pressure on Bakhmut, Russia is unlikely to take the city immediately as Ukrainian forces maintain stable defenses in depth and control over supply routes.”
Meanwhile, the Wagner group said today they are fighting “tough, bloody battles” for control of Soledar.
In a highly unusual move, Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin praised Ukrainian soldiers for “honorably defending Soldedar” and dismissed allegations that Zelenskyi’s men were deserting en masse from the city’s front lines.
“Heavy bloody fighting is taking place on the western outskirts of Soledar. The Armed Forces of Ukraine honorably defend the territory of Soledar,” the Kremlin-affiliated businessman said on social media.
“Let’s be honest with ourselves. The Ukrainian army is fighting bravely for Bakhmut and Soledar. Reports of their mass exodus are not true,” Prigozhin said.
Prigozhin said earlier this week that Soledar was being stormed “exclusively” by Wagner units and said they were fighting fiercely for the city’s administration building.
Ukrainian soldiers provide first aid to a wounded soldier in a dugout in Soledar, the scene of fierce fighting with Russian forces in Donetsk region, Ukraine, on Sunday
Ukrainian Army Commander Colonel-General Oleksandr Syrskyi gives instructions Sunday at a dugout in Soledar, the scene of fierce fighting with Russian forces, in Donetsk region, Ukraine
Meanwhile, Zelensky said of the fierce fighting last night: “Thank you to all our soldiers who protect our Bakhmut… (and) to all the fighters in Soledar who withstood the new and even fiercer attacks of the invaders.”
Earlier Monday, Ukrainian forces said they repelled an attempt to capture Soledar but fighting has resumed.
“After an unsuccessful attempt by the enemy to capture Soledar and withdraw, (the Russians) regrouped, restored manpower, transferred additional assault units, changed tactics and began offensive actions,” Deputy Defense Minister Ganna Malyar said on Telegram .
“At present, the enemy has deployed a large number of assault units formed from the best reserves of the Wagner group. They are literally stepping on the corpses of their own soldiers,” Malyar added.
Earlier Monday, Russian-backed separatists in the Donetsk region said they had captured the village of Bakhmutske, a few kilometers from Soledar.
Separately, Wagner’s founder Yevgeny Prigozhin said on social media that Soledar was being stormed “exclusively” by the group’s units.
Wagner was founded by Yevgeny Prigozhin, an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin. It attracts some recruits from Russian prisons and is known for uncompromising violence. It is active in conflicts in Africa and has played a prominent role in Russia’s war effort in Ukraine.
Prigozhin has been trying to capture Bakhmut and Soledar for months at the cost of many lives on both sides.
He said Saturday its importance lies in a network of cavernous underground mining tunnels that can house troops or tanks.
A US official said Prigozhin was keeping an eye on the salt and gypsum from the mines, which are believed to extend over 100 miles underground and contain auditorium-scale caves.
Ukrainian military analyst Oleh Zhdanov said the fighting in Bahkmut and Soledar was “the most intense on the entire front line.”
“So many remain on the battlefield…either dead or wounded,” he said on YouTube.
“They attack our positions in waves, but the wounded usually die where they lie, either from exposure to cold or from loss of blood. Nobody comes to help them or to take the dead from the battlefield.
At an evacuation center in nearby Kramatorsk, Olha, 60, said she fled Soledar after moving from apartment to apartment as each was destroyed in tank battles.
At an evacuation center in nearby Kramatorsk, Olha, 60, (pictured) said she fled Soledar after moving from apartment to apartment as each apartment was destroyed in tank battles
“Not a single house has remained intact. Apartments burned, collapsed in half,” said Olha, who only gave her first name.
Ukrainian officials led by Commander-in-Chief General Valery Zaluzhniy have warned that Russia is preparing new troops for a new offensive against Ukraine, possibly against the capital Kyiv.
Zelensky also appears to be banking on procuring more sophisticated weaponry from Ukraine’s western partners to repel attacks and eventually drive out Russian troops.
On Monday, he continued his diplomatic efforts and spoke to Petr Fiala, Prime Minister of the Czech Republic.
“I am sure that our soldiers at the front will get these weapons and equipment. Very soon,’ he said.
France, Germany and the United States pledged last week to send armored fighting vehicles, fulfilling a long-standing Ukrainian request.
Britain is considering supplying Ukraine with tanks for the first time, Sky News reported, citing a Western source. The British Ministry of Defense did not comment.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Army General Staff claimed that 710 Russian soldiers were killed in a single day, bringing the number of Putin’s men killed in combat to 112,470.
After more than 10 months of fighting, Russia has faced a series of humiliating setbacks on the ground in Ukraine.
The high command of the Russian military has come under particular criticism in recent days after a strike by Ukrainian forces over the New Year that left 89 of its soldiers dead, according to Moscow.