BREAKING: Russia says that its forces have taken control of Soledar in eastern Ukraine, their first victory in several months.
, a nearby city that has been devastated by shelling — now in freezing winter temperatures — and remains an important national symbol of Ukrainian defiance.
“On the evening of January 12, the liberation of the city of Soledar was completed, which is important for the continuation of successful offensive operations in the Donetsk direction,”Ukraine’s Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar wrote on the Telegram messaging app earlier Friday that “The night in Soledar was hot, battles continued."Concord via Telegram
The capture of Soledar has a military purpose for Russia as a whole, but also a personal goal of bolstering Prigozhin's reputation, analysts said. In military terms, capturing Soledar would increase Russian pressure on the nearby cities of Bakhmut and on the northern city of Siversk. But strategically,"capturing Soledar, or even Bakhmut, won’t make up for the losses Russia has suffered, including the losses of Kherson for instance," said Michael Horowitz, head of intelligence at the Le Beck International security consultancy."I think the value of cities like Bakhmut or Soledar are much more symbolic," Horowitz said.
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