Spokesman of the Eastern Military Command of Ukraine Serhiy Cherevatyi confirmed on January 25 that the country’s troops had withdrawn from the city of Soledar in the Donetsk region. The Ukrainian official added that although Russia’s force is three to five times larger, Ukrainian soldiers fought fiercely and caused great losses to Moscow over the past time.
Earlier, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov announced that the Russian army took control of the city of Soledar on the evening of January 12. He said full control of the city would allow to cut off supply routes to the Ukrainian army in the nearby city of Bakhmut.
Soledar is located at the gateway to the strategic city of Bakhmut, Donetsk Oblast, Eastern Ukraine (Map: BBC).
Soledar was an industrial region with about 10,000 inhabitants before the conflict. This locality is located about 18km from the strategic city of Bakhmut. Control of Soledar and Bakhmut could pave the way for Russia to control the entire Donetsk province in eastern Ukraine.
However, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said that controlling Soledar does not mean that Russian forces can dominate Ukraine’s important land lines of communication to Bakhmut.
The information came in the context of Western officials supposedly recommending that Ukraine should change its tactics, turn away from the Bakhmut front, and give priority to targets on the southern front.
According to the assessment of German intelligence, both Russia and Ukraine have been trying to control the strategic city of Bakhmut for the past few months, but the situation is not favorable for Kiev. They warn that if Russia controls Bakhmut, Ukraine will have to bear serious consequences.
Bakhmut has strategic significance for both Russia and Ukraine. If Moscow captures Bakhmut, it can disrupt Ukraine’s supply lines and open up a Russian offensive to put pressure on Kramatorsk and Sloviansk – key Ukrainian strongholds in the Donetsk region, thereby taking complete control. whole Donetsk.
For Ukraine, Bakhmut is not only a defensive point but also one of the major transport hubs and the last in Donbass is in Kiev hands. All supply lines of the Ukrainian army to Donbass must pass through here.