All the fakes the occupiers are spreading that the city is supposedly already under their flag do not correspond to reality.

Photo: Soledar, Donetsk region, January 2023. Photo credits: The Wall Street Journal

The Russian occupiers have concentrated huge efforts on the assault on Soledar in the Donetsk region, but the city is holding on thanks to the Ukrainian defenders. However, almost nothing remained of Soledar's infrastructure.

As Pavlo Kirilenko, chairman of the Donetsk regional military administration, said on the telethon air, even more, fierce battles began in the second half of the day in the Bakhmut direction. Soledar is the hottest spot right now.

“As you know, the enemy significantly concentrated his efforts on the city of Soledar. The number of assault groups of PMCs has increased very significantly since Friday. But the (Ukrainian) fighters hold the city and inflict such defeats that the enemy is really walking over the corpses of his mercenaries and trying to get into the city. But the fiercest fighting continues, indicating that the city is Ukrainian. It is held thanks to our defenders," Kirilenko stressed.

According to him, all the fakes the occupiers have been spreading since the end of last week that supposedly the city is already under their flag, they have entered and are moving further, do not correspond to reality.

"But it is true that the hottest point is Soledar, from the infrastructure of which there is practically nothing left. There are only those fortifications, and mines that are located there, into which the enemy is trying to get through. But the command knows about it. The command is here, on place, all the necessary measures, from regrouping to adding additional forces, have already been taken. Additional forces will be added if necessary," the head of the Donetsk Regional Military District summed up.

On the evening of January 9, 2023, Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine Anna Malyar reported that after an unsuccessful attempt to capture Soledar in the Donetsk region and retreat, the Russian invaders launched a powerful assault on the city.