According to CNN, the Ukrainian military said on Thursday that it is carrying out counterattacks in Soledar, a city in the east of the country that has suffered heavy Russian bombing.

“After several days of withdrawal, we even made a little progress,” the 46th Separate Airborne Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported in Telegram. “The station is ours. The mine is ours. We are waiting for your support. Soledar is Ukraine.”

Russia is trying to surround the nearby Bakhmut with the help of both Wagner’s private contractors and regular troops, Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine Hanna Malyar reported on Telegram.

“Our soldiers bravely hold their positions and inflict numerous losses on the enemy,” she said.

• Read also: Why is Russia so eager to capture the city of Soledar?

The importance of the city of Soledar from a military point of view is minimal. However, its capture would allow Russian forces, particularly Wagner’s mercenary group, to focus on the nearby town of Bakhmut, which has been a target since the summer.

If Russian forces do capture the city, it would mark Moscow’s first victory in Donbas in months – potentially giving President Vladimir Putin a breather after a series of battlefield defeats since last summer.

The Institute for the Study of War said that control of Soledar “will not necessarily allow Russian forces to exercise control over critical Ukrainian land lines of communication with Bakhmut,” the top prize.

• Read also: PHOTOS Satellite images of Soledar, the Ukrainian city where the fiercest fighting is currently taking place

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