Ukrainian troops are repelling constant attacks on the city of Bakhmut in Donbas (eastern Ukraine) and are holding their positions near the city of Soledar, which is in the same region, in “very difficult conditions”, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Sunday evening, DPA cites. .

“Bahmut endures no matter what. And although most of the city has been destroyed by Russian strikes, our soldiers repel the constant attempts of the Russians to advance,” Zelenskyy said in his late video speech.

“Soledar is resisting, even if the destruction here is even greater and the situation is very difficult,” he said.

In his speech, Zelenskyi noted that the commander of the Eastern Group of Forces, General Oleksandr Syrskyi, during the last hours, visited the most difficult sections of the front line – the Bakhmutskyi and Soledarskyi directions, where he organized the necessary actions to strengthen the defense of Ukraine, in particular, the transfer of additional units and the activation of fire on the occupiers, reports the Ukrinform agency .

On the occasion of the trip to Bakhmut and Soledar, General Sirsky awarded a number of soldiers for courage and resistance.

Russian troops have been trying to occupy Bakhmut for several months, but without success. To justify his failures, the founder of Wagner’s mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, said that the mines around Bakhmut and Soledar will have “unique and historical defensive structures” in the form of “a network of underground cities,” he reports on his website. Ukrainian channel Channel 24.

Specialists of the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) consider these statements to be false, designed, in their opinion, to justify the slow pace of the advance of Wagner’s mercenaries in the direction of Bakhmut, as well as to emphasize the importance of establishing Russian control over this territory.

Ukrainian news agencies reported on Sunday, citing military sources, that occupation troops are being rotated in the Bakhmut area (Donetsk region) with the replacement of Wagner units with regular formations of the Russian army. At the same time, Prigozhin’s mercenaries are being redeployed to the district of the city of Soledar (also Donetsk region) for additional staffing and replenishment.

Regarding the battles involving Wagner’s mercenaries in the area, the international press wrote that Prigozhin would have his own interests in salt and limestone mines. (Agerpress)