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.

Specific steps to strengthen our troops on the ground were organized by the commander of the ground forces, General Alexander Syrsky, during a trip to positions in the vicinity of Bakhmut and Soledar on January 8, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said in an evening summary.

“You need to understand that all our positions, all our actions on the defensive are interconnected, and the stability and effectiveness of actions on the front as a whole depend on the stability and effectiveness of actions at each point of the front.. I thank all our defenders and defenders who act in this way, who realize that their personal stability, their personal strength and effectiveness give stability, strength and effectiveness to the entire state. We defend the entire state, wherever there are fights for it,"

Zelensky noted that in the first week of 2023 the situation in the combat zone has not changed much. Heavy fighting continues in the Lugansk and Donetsk regions, and Bakhmut continues to hold out, as does Soledar.

" ) was destroyed by Russian strikes, our soldiers beat off constant attempts at Russian offensives there. Soledar is holding on. Although there is even more destruction and it is very difficult. There is no such piece of land near these two cities where the occupier would not give his life for the crazy ideas of the masters of the Russian regime. This is one of the bloodiest places on the front,"

During a trip to the front line, General Syrsky also awarded the soldiers who resist the aggressor near Bakhmut and Soledar.