Heavy fighting around Soledar: Wagner mercenaries try to advance - Ukrainians resist

Created: 01/15/2023 05:02

By: Bettina Menzel, Bedrettin Bölükbasi, Andreas Schmid, Christian Stör, Felix Durach

Moscow has now officially declared the embattled city of Soledar to be occupied.

However, Kyiv reports ongoing fighting.

Current information in the news ticker.

• Russia

  targets

  Ukrainian cities

  : Explosions have been reported in several regions.

• Soledar

  under

  Russian control

  ?

  Ukrainian military contradicts Russian reports and reports further fighting.

• New

  commander

  in

  Russia

  : Putin Minister Shoigu changes commander

• This

  news ticker

  on the military situation in the

  Ukraine war

  is constantly

  updated

  .

Update from January 14, 10:45 p.m .:

Apparently, the most experienced Russian military units are currently stationed around the heavily contested city of Soledar.

This was emphasized by the spokesman for the eastern combat groups of the Ukrainian military, Serhiy Cherevatii, according to the

news portal .

Accordingly, the mercenaries of the Wagner group and regular Russian troops are trying to advance in the direction of the town of Bakhmut.

However, the Ukrainian troops would always regroup and defend the area.

Today alone, more than 100 Russian soldiers have been killed and about 600 others injured, he claimed.

The information cannot be independently verified.

Update from January 14, 8:35 p.m .:

According to Ukrainian information, Russian and Ukrainian troops continue to fight heavy battles for control of the eastern Ukrainian city of Soledar.

"Heavy fighting for Soledar continues," Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar wrote in the short message service Telegram.

The Ukrainian military repulsed Russian attacks and inflicted "heavy casualties" on the Russian occupiers.

War in Ukraine: Death toll in Dnipro rises to five

Update from January 14, 5:50 p.m .:

The death toll after the massive Russian attack on Dnipro continues to rise.

The military governor of the Dnipropetrovsk region, Valentin Resnichenko, has now reported on Telegram that the number of dead has increased to five.

War in Ukraine: Ukraine reports dead after attack on Dnipro

Update from January 14, 4:50 p.m .:

Two civilians were killed in the Russian rocket attack on the Ukrainian city of Dnipro.

This was announced by the military governor of the Dnipropetrovsk region, Valentin Resnichenko, in the short message service Telegram.

In addition, 27 other people, including six children, were injured.

Russia targets Ukrainian cities - explosions reported in several regions

Update from January 14, 3:55 p.m .:

After isolated Russian rocket attacks on Ukraine in the morning, Moscow again significantly increased the shelling of numerous regions of the country in the Ukraine war on Saturday.

The Ukrainian authorities said there was an air alert across the country.

In addition to numerous regions, including Odessa in the south, Kharkiv in the east and Lviv (Lemberg) in the west, the capital Kyiv was once again affected by the shelling.

There were several explosions.

People have been urged to seek shelter.

The head of the presidential office in Kyiv, Andriy Yermak, was appalled: "Russians are terrorists who are punished for everything.

All - without exception.” He said that the anti-aircraft and air defenses were doing their job.

"We will fight back," he emphasized.

The enemy does not change tactics and continues to strike civilian infrastructure.

Authorities also reported new targeted attacks on energy infrastructure.

There were power outages in many places, and people were left in the dark.

These were the first attacks of this kind since the turn of the year.

Ukraine war: Russia continues rocket attacks - home hit

Update from January 14, 3:45 p.m .:

According to Ukrainian authorities, a Russian rocket hit the Ukrainian city of Dnipro.

The deputy head of the Ukrainian presidential office, Kyrylo Tymoshenko, reported on Telegram that the rocket hit a residential building.

"Terrible news from Dnipro, a house was hit," Tymoshenko said.

He later wrote that civilians were trapped under the rubble.

Ten people, including two children, were injured in the attack, the Unian news agency quoted a police representative as saying.

Three of the injured are in serious condition, it said.

Ukraine war: Fear of attack – Russia withdraws Black Sea Fleet ships

Update from January 14, 10:19 a.m

.: According to British military experts, Russia has withdrawn at least ten ships from its Black Sea fleet from the port of Novorossiysk for fear of a Ukrainian attack.

Given the number and type of ships, it is likely that Russia is responding to a specific threat it believes it perceives, according to the Defense Secretary's daily intelligence update on the Ukraine war in London.

According to the report, Russia is moving its ships out of fear of a Ukrainian attack.

Unexpected help in the Ukraine war: Bieber make things difficult for Putin's army

Update from January 14, 10:19 a.m

.: Ukraine seems to be receiving unexpected help in the fight against Russia.

There are repeated fears that Belarus could intervene in the Ukraine war and open up a second front from the border that Putin's troops could use to attack.

Now, however, beaver dams in the Volhynia region have caused flooding in the region bordering Belarus.

Whole areas of the area have been flooded or have turned into veritable mud landscapes.

This was reported by the Reuters news agency, citing a member of the local territorial defense unit.

Unlike in peacetime, no one bothered to destroy beaver dams that cause rivers to burst their banks.

As a result of this and the mild winter, the area with its many bodies of water and few paved roads is even more difficult to pass than it already is, according to the report.

Russia does not rule out Belarus' participation in the war against Ukraine.

The prerequisite is an attack by the Ukrainian army on the neighboring country, said the representative of the Foreign Ministry in Moscow, Alexey Polishchuk, on Friday.

This fueled concerns on the part of the government in Kyiv that Russia, with the support of the Belarusian military, was planning to open a new front in northern Ukraine.

Ukraine War: New explosions reported in Kyiv

Update from January 14, 8.42 a.m

.: New explosions in Kiev: New explosions are said to have been reported in the Ukrainian capital this morning.

Correspondents in the Ukraine war report up to six explosions in the metropolis.

The surprising thing is that, as usual, no air raid alarm was triggered beforehand.

Airborne alert sirens did not sound in the city until after the blasts at 9:35 a.m. local time.

Meanwhile, according to the first reports via Twitter, it is still unclear whether it was rocket fire or whether the explosions, of which at least four are said to have occurred in the center of Kiev, have other reasons.

Ukraine war current: new explosions in Kyiv – residential building hit?

In addition to the current reports of explosions in Kyiv, other regions of Ukraine are also likely to be under rocket fire.

Kharkiv and Zaporizhia are said to be among them.

The president's office called on residents not to take the air alert lightly and instead be sure to seek shelter.

The delayed air raid alarm was triggered by the noise of an explosion, which normally occurs when the Ukrainian air defense shoots down Russian missiles or drones in the Ukraine war.

Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko said the remains of a rocket had crashed in an uninhabited part of the capital.

According to initial information, no one was injured.

In addition, the presidential office said that a residential building was also hit in the Kiev region.

However, this information has not yet been independently confirmed.

There is also no information about possible victims or injuries.

Ukraine war: Selenskyk denies defeat in Soledar - "The hard fight for Donetsk continues"

Update from January 14,

8:42 a.m .: Despite several Russian reports of victory in the small town of Soledar in eastern Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy maintains that the fighting for the place is ongoing.

"The hard fight for Donetsk continues," said Zelenskyj on Friday evening in his daily video address on the current situation in the Ukraine war.

Both the Russian military leadership and the notorious Russian mercenary troupe Wagner deployed at Soledar had announced the conquest of Soledar.

Above all, the paramilitary organization Wagner claimed the success for itself, whereupon the Ministry of Defense in Moscow gave in and attributed the victory to the mercenary troop.

"They are already biting each other over who should be credited with tactical progress," Zelenskyj commented on the dispute over the contested city in the war in Ukraine.

This is already a "clear signal of failure".

Current war in Ukraine: Soledar still contested - "The hard fight for Donetsk continues"

Update January 13, 10:17 p.m.:

The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces reconfirmed on Friday that the battle for Soledar was ongoing and denied Russian claims that the city had fallen under Moscow control.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also insisted that fighting for the site was ongoing.

"The hard fight for Donetsk continues," Zelenskyy said in his daily video address on Friday evening.

"The battle for Bakhmut and Soledar, for Kreminna, for other towns and villages in the east of our state continues." From the Russian side, however, there have already been reports of victory about the capture of the city.

Zelenskyj addressed a personal word of thanks to the Ukrainian troops defending Soledar and Bakhmut against Russian attacks.

"Thank you to the fighters of the Kraken unit for decisive action to destroy the enemy in the Soledar region," Zelenskyy said.

In Bachmut, on the other hand, he paid tribute to the International Legion, a troupe made up of foreign fighters.

Ukriane War: Bakhmut fired on over 200 times in the last 24 hours

Update from January 13, 5:50 p.m.:

According to the Ukrainian military spokesman Serhii Cherevatyi, Bakhmut was shot at 212 times within the past 24 hours, and 31 firefights were also recorded, it said on Friday.

According to Ukrainian sources, 183 Russian soldiers were killed and 137 wounded in the fighting.

This could not be independently verified.

Information about losses on the Ukrainian side was initially not known.

In addition, two women aged 59 and 64 were killed and a 63-year-old woman was injured in a Russian attack on the village of Dvorichna in the Kupiansk district of Kharkiv Oblast on Friday.

This was reported by the governor of the Kharkiv region, Oleh Syniehubov.

Information on the status of the battles for the city of Soledar is contradictory

Update from January 13, 3:28 p.m .:

Contradictory reports about the status of the battles for the city of Soledar in the Ukraine war continued to circulate on Friday afternoon.

While Russia has officially confirmed the capture, Ukraine refers to ongoing hostilities.

Igor Konashenkov, a spokesman for Russia's defense ministry, spoke on Friday of the benefits Russia would have gained from capturing Soledar.

Complete control of Soledar would allow Russia to "interrupt the supply lines of the Ukrainian forces located in the city (Bakhmut) in the south-west and then encircle the Ukrainian units located there".

The conquest of Soledar was made possible by "constant attacks on the enemy" by the Russian air force and artillery.

Ukraine war: Soledar probably fallen – Russia controls the city, Kyiv denies

The US think tank Institute for the Study of War (ISW) now assumes that Soledar is under Russian control.

However, the ISW also notes that the significance of the success would be portrayed as "exaggerated" by Russia.

Kyiv further denies the reports.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov described the situation as contentious in an interview with the BBC on Friday.

The situation is "very difficult" but "under control".

According to him, “about 500 or 600” Russian fighters are killed in Ukraine every day.

However, the figures cannot be independently verified.

The Ukrainian military reports ongoing fighting around the city of Soledar.

© Libkos/dpa

Soledar under Russian control?

Ukrainian military reports ongoing fighting

Update from January 13, 1:41 p.m .:

The Ukrainian military leadership has again denied the Russian report about the capture of the city of Soledar.

"No, that is not correct.

Fighting is still going on in the city,” spokesman for the Eastern Group of Ukrainian Armed Forces Serhiy Cherevaty told the Ukrainian portal

For security reasons, however, he did not want to reveal any further information about the fighting in the city.

Shortly before, Moscow had announced that the city of Soledar, which had been hotly contested in recent days, had finally been brought under Russian control.

Soledar well taken: Russia announces great victory of the Wagner troops

Pictures of the Ukraine war: great horror and small moments of happiness

View photo gallery

Update from January 13, 12:25 p.m .:

The Russian Ministry of Defense officially announced on Friday that it would take the embattled city of Soledar in the Donetsk region.

The city was completely under the control of the Russian armed forces on the evening of January 12, the Defense Ministry in Moscow announced on Friday.

Kyiv has not yet confirmed the report.

On Friday morning, Ukraine's Deputy Defense Minister spoke of fighting around the city on Friday night.

It would be the first capture of a city by the Russian army since July, when Lysychansk was captured in the war of aggression against Ukraine.

It would also be an important psychological success for the Russian army, weakened after many defeats.

The head of the Russian paramilitary organization Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, announced on Wednesday that Russian troops had taken control of the city.

The Battle of Soledar is considered one of the bloodiest of the war so far.

Ukraine-News: "Hot night in Soledar" - Kyiv reports Russian offensive with "high intensity"

Update from January 13, 10:07 a.m .:

According to their own statements, the Ukrainian armed forces are currently withstanding a “high intensity” Russian offensive.

Heavy fighting between Russian and Ukrainian troops again broke out in the embattled city in Donetsk Oblast on Friday night.

“It was a hot night in Soledar.

Fighting continued," Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Ganna Malyar told Telegram on Friday morning. 

Russia has "transferred almost all of its main forces to the Donetsk front and is continuing its offensive at high intensity," she wrote.

We are currently in a "difficult phase of the war, but we will win it," the deputy defense minister continued.

"Our fighters are valiantly trying to hold our defenses."

In the past few days and weeks, the Russian military leadership has focused its offensive efforts on Soledar and the nearby town of Bakhmut.

With the conquest of the two cities, Moscow wants to achieve another long-awaited success on the battlefield in Ukraine.

Bitter fighting for Soledar: Zelenskyj promises reinforcements to Ukrainian troops

Update from January 13, 6.40 a.m .:

The Ukrainian troops in the eastern Ukrainian cities of Bakhmut and Soledar, who have been fending off violent Russian attacks for days, are receiving reinforcements and supplies.

The soldiers there are also given all the support they need.

This was announced by President Zelenskyy after a General Staff meeting in Kyiv on Thursday.

The Russian military has been trying to break through Ukrainian defenses in this part of Ukraine for several weeks.

The mission is to bring the entire Donetsk region, which Moscow has already illegally annexed, under Russian control.

Ukrainian soldier describes current situation in Soledar

Update from January 12, 10:45 p.m .:

In the eastern Ukrainian city of Soledar, Russian and Ukrainian troops continue to fight heavily.

A Ukrainian soldier described the difficult situation in the city to the US broadcaster CNN.

His claims suggest that things are looking bleak for the Ukrainian military right now.

"We tried to withdraw, but the Russians are already there," he told the station about the current situation in the city in the Ukraine war, adding: "If there are no orders to withdraw today, then we will most likely run out of time." have to leave town.”

There is no food and water is scarce.

There are also wounded soldiers.

"We were told we were going to withdraw, but now we've just been abandoned," the unnamed soldier said.

It said: "We're going to hold out as long as we can.

But anyone can tire and eventually reach their limit.

It's impossible to keep a good mood for that long.”

War in Ukraine: Ukrainian military may launch counterattacks in Soledar

Update from January 12, 9:15 p.m .:

According to their own statements, the Ukrainian military is carrying out counterattacks in the bloody battles in Soledar.

The Russian military together with Wagner mercenaries try to take the city, while the Ukrainian army resists.

"After withdrawing for several days, we have even made small progress now," wrote the 46th Airmobile Brigade of Ukraine in the short message service Telegram, as reported by the US broadcaster CNN.

“The train station is ours, the mine is ours, we are waiting for support.

Soledar is Ukrainian,” the brigade said.

Ukraine War: Kyiv attacks Putin's troops from the air

Update from January 12, 7:10 p.m .:

According to the Ukrainian General Staff, the Ukrainian military is continuing airstrikes against Russian troops in the Ukraine war.

In the course of the day, a total of 20 airstrikes were carried out, according to the general staff's situation report on Facebook on the current situation in the war in Ukraine.

15 of these attacks were carried out on gathering areas of Russian soldiers and another 5 on air defense systems.

In addition, Ukrainian soldiers shot down a Su-25 aircraft and an Orlan-10 drone.

War in Ukraine: Putin's troops try to surround Bakhmut

Update from January 12, 6 p.m.:

According to the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, the Russian military is still trying to encircle the heavily contested city of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine.

Both regular Russian troops and mercenaries from the Wagner Group would be used in the heavily contested area in the Ukraine war, said Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maljar, according to the military news portal

.

"The enemy wants to break through the defenses of our troops and take the city," Maljar said of the current situation in the region during the war in Ukraine.

However, the Ukrainian soldiers would "bravely" resist and inflict heavy casualties on the Russian military.

Ukraine war: Kyiv sees no threat from Belarus

Update from January 12, 3:30 p.m .:

According to Kiev, there is currently no threat to Ukraine from Belarusian territory.

This was emphasized by Lieutenant General Serhiy Nayev, commander of the Ukrainian army, according to the Ukrainian state agency Ukrinform.

"Currently, the situation on the Belarusian border does not pose a direct threat to us," the agency quoted the lieutenant general as saying.

In addition, one is constantly in contact with partner countries such as the USA or Poland.

In addition, Ukrainian secret services would also keep an eye on the situation.

"Currently, the composition of the Belarusian units on our state border has not changed either qualitatively or quantitatively," he also emphasized.

Nevertheless, defense capacities and training for Ukrainian soldiers in the area are being increased step by step.

War in Ukraine: Kyiv and Moscow fight for control of Soledar

Update from January 12, 2:20 p.m .: Heavy

fighting continues to rage in the small town of Soledar in eastern Ukraine.

According to the Ukrainian military, it is still able to withstand the onslaught of Russian soldiers.

Both sides spoke of numerous deaths.

The streets of the town are said to be littered with bodies.

Update from January 12, 1 p.m.:

According to Ukrainian information, Russia is increasing its armed forces.

The number of Russian military units in Ukraine has risen to 280 from 250 in the previous week, Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maljar said at a press conference.

She later added to Telegram that Moscow would "move the mobilized from the military training areas in Belarus and Russia to the war and border areas".

The focus of the fighting continues to be the Donetsk region.

However, the Ukrainian military held out in the fighting for the city of Soledar.

“Russia is killing its own people by the thousands.

But we will persevere," said Maljar.

Update from January 12, 11:30 a.m

.: Fighting continues in the Ukrainian city of Soledar in the Donetsk region.

According to Donetsk governor Pavlo Kyrylenko, 559 civilians are still holding out in the small town.

Among them are 15 children.

Because of the fierce fighting, it was impossible to evacuate them from the city.

Before the war, around 10,500 people lived in the town in eastern Ukraine.

Ukraine sees fierce fighting in Soledar: Kyiv names Russia's enormous number of losses

Update from January 12, 10 a.m

.: According to information from Kiev, the bloody fighting for the Ukrainian city of Soledar in the Donetsk region is continuing - Moscow recently did not want to make an official statement about it.

"More than 100 Russians at once were sent to hell in the Soledar region," the Ukrainian military command said.

The Ukrainian armed forces killed more than 100 Russian fighters and destroyed their equipment thanks to coordinated work with artillery and missile troops, it said.

The information could not initially be verified independently.

Ukraine had previously denied Russian claims that Soledar had already been taken.

The Kremlin in Moscow had spoken of "positive dynamics" but said it would wait for official confirmation that Soledar would be taken.

Wagner boss Jegweni Prigozhin, on the other hand, claimed that the city had been conquered.

At the same time, he explained that the area was still being “cleansed” of the remnants of the Ukrainian army.

He had spoken of 500 Ukrainian soldiers killed on Wednesday.

Putin Minister Shoigu changes commander – for “closer cooperation”

Update from January 12, 7:17 a.m

.: Russia is again changing a commander in the Ukraine war: Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has appointed Chief of Staff Valeri Gerasimov as the new commander of the Russian troops.

Sergei Surovikin, who took over the post last October, is to become his deputy.

Russische Einnahme von Soledar? Selenskyj spricht von „Propaganda-Manöver“

Update vom 11. Januar, 21.30 Uhr: Die von russischer Seite verkündete Einnahme der schwer umkämpften ostukrainischen Kleinstadt Soledar ist nach den Worten des ukrainischen Präsidenten Wolodymyr Selenskyj ein Propaganda-Manöver. „Die Front im Donezk-Gebiet hält“, sagte Selenskyj am Mittwochabend in seiner täglichen Videoansprache. „Die Kämpfe gehen weiter, und wir unternehmen alles, um die ukrainische Verteidigung zu stärken.“

Update vom 11. Januar, 20.10 Uhr: Die schweren Kämpfe um die ostukrainische Kleinstadt Soledar dauern nach Angaben des Generalstabs in Kiew weiter an. Um die gesamte Region Donezk unter seine Kontrolle zu bringen, versuche das russische Militär, sowohl Bachmut anzugreifen als auch die Versorgungswege in das benachbarte Soledar zu unterbrechen, teilte die ukrainische Militärführung in Kiew am Mittwoch mit. „Die Kämpfe dauern an“, hieß es in der Mitteilung. Zuvor hatte bereits der Sprecher der Ostgruppe der ukrainischen Armee, Serhij Tscherewatyj, russische Berichte über die Eroberung der Kleinstadt dementiert.

Update vom 11. Januar, 16.15 Uhr: Die stellvertretende ukrainische Verteidigungsministerin Hanna Maliar hat Behauptungen einer vollständigen russischen Kontrolle über die Stadt Soledar dementiert. „Schwere Kämpfe in Soledar dauern an“, zitierte der US-Sender CNN Maliar aus einem Beitrag im Kurznachrichtendienst Telegram. Nach schweren Verlusten habe Russland Einheiten in dem Gebiet ausgetauscht und auch die Zahl von Wagner-Söldnern erhöht. So wolle Moskau die ukrainische Verteidigungslinie durchbrechen und die Stadt vollständig einnehmen. Diese Versuche blieben allerdings ohne Erfolg, so Maliar.

Ukraine-Krieg: Ex-US-Kommandeur in Europa rechnet mit baldiger Krim-Befreiung

Update vom 11. Januar, 13.55 Uhr: Der ehemalige Kommandeur der amerikanischen Streitkräfte in Europa Ben Hodges, Generalleutnant a. D., erwartet eine Zurückeroberung der Krim durch die Ukraine bis Ende August. Dies betonte er in einem Interview mit der ukrainischen Agentur RBC. „Die Ukraine wird niemals sicher sein und ihre Wirtschaft erneut aufbauen können, während Russland die Krim kontrolliert“, sagte er. Daher sei es „wichtig, die Krim zu befreien“. Die Wahrscheinlichkeit, dass Russland im Ukraine-Krieg Atomwaffen einsetzen werde, sei sehr gering, so Hodges. Dies verschaffe Moskau schließlich keinen Vorteil auf dem Schlachtfeld.

Angriffskrieg auf die Ukraine: Kiew bestreitet Eroberung von Soledar durch russische Truppen

Update vom 11. Januar, 12.20 Uhr: Das ukrainische Militär hat russische Angaben zur Lage in der umkämpften Kleinstadt Soledar im Ukraine-Krieg zurückgewiesen. „Die Russen sagen, dass Soledar unter ihrer Kontrolle sei. Das stimmt nicht“, sagte der Sprecher der Ostgruppe der ukrainischen Streitkräfte, Serhij Tscherewatyj, Medienberichten in Kiew zufolge. Zur aktuellen Lage im Angriffskrieg von Russland auf die Ukraine werde der Generalstab aber keine genaueren Angaben machen.

Ukraine-News: Kiew erwartet neuen Großangriff – Selenskyj-Berater nennt Datum für Russlands Angriffskrieg

Update vom 11. Januar, 11.25 Uhr: Nach Angaben des ukrainischen Präsidentenberaters Oleksij Arestowitsch erwartet Kiew schon bald einen weiteren massiven Angriff russischer Raketen und Kamikazedrohnen aus dem Iran gegen die gesamte Ukraine. „Früher oder später wird das passieren“, sagte er laut der Nachrichtenagentur Unian im Gespräch mit dem russischen Ex-Politiker und Menschenrechtsaktivist Mark Feigin. Als ungefähres Datum gab er demnach den Zeitraum zwischen dem 12. und 15. Januar an. Dies müsse zwar nicht zwingend der Fall sein, allerdings gehe die Vermutung aus den Zeitpunkten von früheren Angriffen hervor.

Ukraine-Krieg aktuell: Verwirrung um Soledar – US-Experten widersprechen Behauptung von Putin-Söldnern

Update vom 11. Januar, 10.10 Uhr: Russische Behauptungen, dass Soledar ganz eingenommen wurde und die Stadt Bachmut daher kurz vor einer Umzingelung steht, entsprechen offenbar nicht der Realität. Das geht aus dem jüngsten Lagebericht der US-Denkfabrik Institute for the Study of War (ISW) zum Ukraine-Krieg hervor. „Auch wenn die großzügigsten russischen Behauptungen in Betracht gezogen werden, würde eine Einnahme von Soledar nicht die sofortige Einkesselung von Bachmut bedeuten“, heißt es in dem Papier. Hinzu kommt: Die Eroberung von Soledar gewähre russischen Truppen nicht zwingend die Kontrolle über ukrainische Kommunikationslinien nach Bachmut. Das russische Militär versucht Bachmut seit Monaten einzunehmen, allerdings bisher ohne Erfolg.

Ukraine-Krieg gegen Russland: Kiews Generalstab erwähnt Soledar nicht im Lagebericht

Update vom 11. Januar, 8.35 Uhr: Dass Soledar im jüngsten Militär-Lagebericht zum Ukraine-Krieg nicht erwähnt wird, werten Beobachter als wichtiges Indiz: Die strategisch wichtige Stadt könnte an die russischen Angreifer verloren sein. Der ukrainische Generalstab meldete zwar abgewehrte Angriff an 13 verschiedenen Orten. Soledar aber war nicht unter ihnen.

Soledar gilt als wichtiger Baustein des ukrainischen Festungswalls vor dem Ballungsgebiet zwischen Slowjansk und Kramatorsk. Es ist der letzte Großraum im Gebiet Donbass, den die Ukrainer noch kontrollieren. Zuvor hatte der Finanzier der russischen Söldnertruppe „Wagner“ , Jewgeni Prigoschin, die Eroberung Soledars gemeldet.

Kampf um Soledar: Wohl noch mehr als 500 Zivilisten in der Donbass-Stadt

Update vom 11. Januar, 6.19 Uhr: Im umkämpften Soledar halten sich wohl noch mehr als 500 Zivilisten auf. „Einige von ihnen würden die Stadt gerne sofort verlassen, das ist wegen der intensiven Kampfhandlungen zur Zeit nicht möglich“, sagte der ukrainische Militärverwalter der Region Donezk, Pawlo Kirilenko, im Fernsehen. „Solange es keinen sicheren Weg aus der Stadt gibt, gibt es keine Evakuierung.“

Strategisch wichtige Donbass-Stadt Soledar: „Putins Koch“ verkündet Einnahme

Update vom 10. Januar, 22.10 Uhr: Soledar bleibt das Epizentrum im Ukraine-Krieg. Russische Truppen setzten nach Angaben aus Kiew ihre Sturmangriffe auf die Stadt Soledar im Osten der Ukraine fort. „Die schweren Kämpfe zur Verteidigung von Soledar dauern an“, teilte die ukrainische Vize-Verteidigungsministerin Hanna Maljar am Abend auf Telegram mit. „Ohne Rücksicht auf seine Verluste greift der Feind weiterhin an.“ Das Vorfeld der ukrainischen Verteidigungslinien sei „mit Leichen der Angreifer übersät“.

Die regulären russischen Truppen werden auch von verschiedenen Söldner-Truppen unterstützt, darunter auch die berüchtigte Wagnergruppe. Diese veröffentlichte am Dienstag auf Telegram Videobilder, die angeblich aus dem Zentrum von Soledar stammen. Die wenig aussagekräftige Aufnahme, die zwei vermummte Soldaten vor einem beschädigten Verwaltungsgebäude zeigt, konnten nicht unabhängig bestätigt werden.

Ukraine bereitet sich auf möglichen Kiew-Angriff vor: Attacke aus Belarus?

Erstmeldung vom 10. Januar, 20 Uhr: Kiew – Das ukrainische Militär bereitet sich auf einen möglichen neuen Angriff russischer Bodentruppen in Richtung der Hauptstadt Kiew vor. Russische Soldaten sollen ausgerechnet aus Belarus gen Kiew ziehen. Zuletzt hatte es immer wieder Spekulationen um einen belarussischen Kriegseintritt gegeben. Belarus-Machthaber Alexander Lukaschenko traf sich dazu im Dezember mit seinem Vertrauten Wladimir Putin – dementierte allerdings etwaige Kriegspläne. Kiew wiederum bereitet sich nun genau auf einen solchen Angriff vor. Die Berichte erreichen die Weltgemeinschaft an dem Tag, als Außenministerin Annalena Baerbock überraschend in die Ostukraine reiste.

Es seien bereits Abwehrstellungen im Norden des Landes vorbereitet oder verstärkt worden, teilte am Dienstag der für die Verteidigung Kiews zuständige Generalleutnant Olexij Pawljuk mit. Um schnelle Panzervorstöße russischer Einheiten zu verhindern, seien an allen für Panzer zugänglichen Stellen größere Minenfelder angelegt worden. Wenn die Angreifer diese Sperren nicht überwinden könnten, sei es für die ukrainische Artillerie einfacher, die Truppenansammlungen zu zerschlagen.

Gleich zu Beginn des russischen Angriffskriegs im Februar des Vorjahres haben die ukrainischen Streitkräfte einen Vorstoß russischer Truppen aus Belarus heraus auf Kiew abgeschlagen. Eine viele Kilometer lange russische Panzer- und Fahrzeugkolonne wurde in den dichten Wäldern nördlich von Kiew dezimiert und zum Rückzug gezwungen.

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Russische Fortschritte im Donbass: Wagner-Söldner rücken in Soledar vor

Die ukrainische Führung befürchtet einen weiteren Angriff der russischen Armee, die seit einigen Wochen in Belarus stärkere Verbände entlang der Grenze zur Ukraine stationiert. Militärexperten halten die russischen Einheiten in Belarus noch nicht für stark genug, um einen derartigen Angriff zu starten. Dennoch binden sie ukrainische Truppen, die dadurch an anderen Frontabschnitten fehlen, etwa in der Donbass-Region Soledar nahe Bachmut.

British intelligence reported on Tuesday Russian gains in the region.

Regular Russian troops and Wagner units have made tactical advances over the past four days.

They probably controlled most of the place.

According to Ukrainian sources, Russia has now shelled the city 86 times, saying it was "virtually destroyed".

Wagner fighters belonging to Putin's friend Yevgeny Prigozhin ("Putin's cook") have been trying in vain for months to take the city of Bakhmut.

Now they could achieve a decisive turn in the struggle for the strategically important Donbass city.