Russia’s recent successes in Soledar do not point to an imminent encirclement of the much-contested city of Bakhmut by both camps, contrary to claims by Russian sources, analysts at the Institute for the Study of War say.

Even according to the most generous interpretation of Russian media bloggers, who claim that Russian troops are fighting on the outskirts of the town of Razdolivka, about 6 km northwest of Soledar, Putin’s forces are still far from achieving the “operational encirclement” of the town of Bakhmut, which the group’s founder also wants of Wagner’s mercenaries Egwene Prigogine.

To effectively cut Ukrainian land lines of communication at Bakhmut, Russian forces would need to gain control of the T0513 Siversk-Bakhmut route, 7 km west of the farthest point of confirmed Russian advance in the Soledar area, and reach at least E40 Sloviansk. – Bakhmut highway, 13 km from the extreme point of the confirmed advance of Russian troops.

Given that recent rates of rise in the area have been at most a few hundred meters per day, it is highly unlikely that the Russian military will be able to encircle Bakhmutului.

In addition, Ukrainian forces in Bakhmut would still have land lines of communication even if the Russians gained control of E40, rendering the entire discussion of a possible encirclement moot at this stage, ISW believes.

“Bloody battles” under Soledar

a group of mercenaries controlled by the Kremlin allegedly entered Soledar and fought with Ukrainian forces in the city. The founder of Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, said that the group was going to conquer the city.

The city of Soledar near Bakhmut in the Donetsk region is still under the control of Ukraine, despite strong Russian attacks, Serhii Tserevatiy, the spokesman of the Eastern Group of Ukrainian Forces, said on January 7, Ukrainian Pravda and Kyiv Independent reported.

“Fierce and bloody battles are going on there,” Cherevaty said.

Since midnight on January 7, Russian forces have bombed Soledar 76 times, and since then Ukrainian armed forces have engaged in ten clashes with Russian forces in the city, Cherevaty said.

Soledar is located approximately 20 kilometers from Bakhmut.

Prigozhin wants to conquer Bakhmut

Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Wagner PMC mercenaries, said on Saturday that he wants his forces and the Russian army to capture the small town of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine because it has “underground cities” through which troops and tanks can move, Reuters reported.

“The icing on the cake is the mine system of Soledar and Bakhmut, which is actually a network of underground cities,” said Prigozhin, who believes that soldiers, tanks and combat vehicles can move through this underground network at a depth of 80-100 meters. .

Prigozhin, who is likely to increase his political capital in Moscow if he captures Bakhmut given the Wagner Group’s role in the fighting there, said the weapons stockpile had been stored in underground compounds since the First World War.

His remarks were a reference to the vast salt and gypsum mines in the area, which contain more than 100 miles of tunnels and a huge underground chamber where, in more peaceful times, football matches and classical music concerts were held.

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