Currently, the industrial city of Soledar in the Donetsk region is one of the hottest points of the front.. Heavy fighting in the city. The city is located 18 kilometers from Bakhmut and has a network of underground tunnels..

Before the start of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation, salt was mined in Soledar from the Artemovsky deposit. The Artyomsol enterprise stopped work due to the shelling of the occupiers.

Commander of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrsky said in early January that the Ukrainian defenders had thwarted the invaders' plans to capture Soledar and encircle Bakhmut by December 26.

After an unsuccessful attempt to capture Soledar and retreat, the enemy regrouped, resumed losses, deployed additional assault detachments, changed tactics and launched a powerful assault on Soledar, said Deputy Defense Minister Anna Malyar.

The Ukrainian military leadership has decided to strengthen the defense near the cities of Bakhmut and Soledar in the Donetsk region, which includes moving additional units to this sector of the front and increasing the intensity of enemy fire.

British military intelligence notes that Wagner groups have made a tactical advance into Soledar, Donetsk region, and probably control most of the settlement.

"

Part of the fighting is focused on the entrances to the 200-kilometer salt mine tunnels that run under the area.. Both sides are likely concerned that these entrances could be used to infiltrate the rear..

" The main striking force is the best Wagner units. And they focused on powerful attacks there. I can’t disclose the details, because the operation is still ongoing,"

Soledar in a threatening situation: the enemy has entered a position from which it can fire on the main supply route to the city. Even though it is not a complete encirclement, a normal route delivery is not possible, hence it is critical to the defense.. , journalist Yury Butusov told. According to him, Russian troops will do everything possible to break through to the highway in the rear of Soledar.. Fresh reserves from the enemy airborne troops were sent to this direction, the Russian command attaches great political importance to the capture of Soledar.

The statements of the Russian occupation forces about the capture of Soledar are not true, said the speaker of the Eastern Group of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Sergey Cherevaty.

"

According to ISW, Russian troops have not captured all of Soledar, despite false claims that Ukrainian forces have surrendered the city and that Bakhmut is in danger of imminent encirclement.. It is noted that there is only visual confirmation of the presence of the forces of PMC " At the same time, the reality of control over the territory from block to block in the city is incomprehensible due to the dynamic nature of urban battles..

However, even if Ukraine loses control of the city, this will not necessarily mean the establishment of control over critical land lines of communications to Bakhmut, analysts say..