Russia had not conquered a city since July 3 with the capture of Lisichansk in the Donbass.
This Friday, after more than six months, it could have obtained another victory in Soledar, even if the Ukrainians, at this stage, deny the capture of the small town in Donbass by the Russians, and in particular by the troops of Wagner .
What does this victory for Moscow represent, if confirmed?
Does it sign a reversal of the balance of power?
With the mobilization of 300,000 men in Russia, will Moscow have the means to launch a winter offensive now that the muddy ground has frozen?
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And could Russia go further, by launching a second wave of mobilization, this time of 500,000 men, as kyiv fears?
Opposite, could sending heavy Western equipment – like Leopard 2 tanks – help the Ukrainians hold on?
Do they also have the means to continue their counter-offensives launched in the summer and fall?
At this stage, is it still possible to negotiate?
Supporting maps,
Le Figaro
addresses all these questions in a 45-minute video to take stock of the war in Ukraine.
Editor's note: the Russian announcement of the capture of Soledar took place this Friday morning during the "live" of Le Figaro and was commented on live. Nevertheless, the preceding analysis is not obsolete and already took into account the probability of a Russian victory to come in the small town of Donbass.