Russian Armour Gains Momentum as Soledar Falls

By the Intel Drop

As MSM, the Washington establishment and its Kiev puppets pretend that they do not see photos and videos of Russian troops in Soledar, the Russians have been developing momentum in the area. With the liberation of the town of Soledar, the main point of clashes moved to the nearby railway station of Sol, northwest of the town. Fighting was also reported in the eastern vicinity of Blagodatnoe (west of Soledar) and Krasnopolievka (northeast of Sol).

It’s interesting to note that Kiev’s forces have suffered large casualties in the battle of Soledar and left behind a lot of dead bodies of pro-Kiev troops. The video below shows the dead bodies of fighters of the Kiev regime:

Meanwhile, pro-Kiev propaganda and NATO budget suckers went furious in an attempt to deny the reality on the battlefield. As of now, the versions of MSM & Co vary from ‘Kiev still controls the strategic town and clashes are ongoing’ to ‘Soledar is an unimportant little settlement. It’s nothing to see here’.

The Russian Defense Ministry released statements revealing details of the operation to liberate the town of Soledar.

The first one:

In the evening of 12 January, the city of Soledar, that is of great importance for continuing successful offensive operations in Donetsk direction, was liberated.

The establishment of full control of Soledar allows to block the supply routes of Ukrainian forces in the city of Artyomovsk, located to the southwest, as well as to block and to pocket the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) that still remain there.

The capture of Soledar became possible due to constant fire attacks launched at the enemy by Ground-Attack and Army Aviation, Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Group of Forces. Concentrated attacks were uninterruptedly launched at AFU positions in the city, impeding the redeployment of reserve forces, ordnance supplies, as well as the enemy’s attempts to redeploy to other defensive lines.

Within the liberation of the city, Fighter Aviation of Russian Aerospace Forces had destroyed 3 airplanes and 1 helicopter of Ukrainian Air Force that were tasked to provide aerial fire support to Ukrainian forces.

Moreover, air defence crews of the Russian Group of Forces had shot down nine rocket-propelled projectiles launched by HIMARS and Uragan multiple-launch rocket systems (MLRS) at the strongpoints taken by Russian forces near Soledar.

Airborne Troops carried out a covert manoeuvre from other direction, attacked AFU positions on the move, took the dominating heights, and blocked the northern and southern limits of the city.

Russian electronic warfare facilities and forces, concentrated in the abovementioned direction, neutralised hostile control system, and frustrated the operation of Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles.

The set of measures, adopted by the Russian Group of Forces, has led to successful offensive operations of assault detachments in liberating Soledar. Within the last 3 days, more than 700 Ukrainian personnel, and over 300 units of armament of the AFU have been eliminated.

The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the special military operation.

In Kupyansk direction, attacks launched by the artillery of the Western Military District at the units of Ukrainian 103rd Territorial Defence Brigade have resulted in the elimination of up to 20 personnel, 3 armoured fighting vehicles, and 3 motor vehicles near Krakhmalnoye and Berestovoye (Kharkov region).

In Krasny Liman direction, artillery strikes launched by a formation of Airborne Troops from Pskov have resulted in the neutralisation of the units from 80th and 95th airborne assault brigades of the AFU near Grigorovka and Serebryanka (Donetsk People’s Republic).

The enemy has lost over 40 Ukrainian personnel, 4 armoured personnel carriers, and 3 pickups.

In South Donetsk direction, complex fire strikes launched by Baltic Fleet’s marine units have resulted in the elimination of over 20 Ukrainian personnel, 2 armoured fighting vehicles, and 2 motor vehicles near Poltavka and Uspenovka (Donetsk People’s Republic).

Operational-Tactical Aviation, Missile Troops and Artillery of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation have neutralised 117 artillery units of the AFU at firing positions, manpower and military equipment in 105 areas.

2 ordnance depots of 107th Rocket Artillery Brigade and 46th Airmobile Brigade of the AFU have been destroyed near Zaporozhye and Yasnogorka (Donetsk People’s Republic).

2 artillery ordnance depots of 28th and 65th mechanised brigades of the AFU, as well as one hangar with armament and hardware of 108th Territorial Defence Brigade have been destroyed near Konstantinovka (Donetsk People’s Republic), Novoivanovka, and Orekhov (Zaporozhye region).

Counterbattery warfare operations have resulted in destruction of:

1 fighting vehicle equipped with Uragan MLRS, and 2 launching ramps of Grad MLRS near Krasny Liman and Seversk (Donetsk People’s Republic);

1 2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled howitzer, and 3 2S3 Akatsiya self-propelled howitzer near Gulyay Pole and Orekhov (Zaporozhye region).

Moreover, three Ukrainian D-20 howitzers have been destroyed near Viyemka and Dyleyevka (Donetsk People’s Republic).

Air defence facilities have destroyed 3 unmanned aerial vehicles near Vladimirovka, Nikolskoye (Donetsk People’s Republic), and Zmiyevka (Lugansk People’s Republic).

In total, 372 airplanes and 200 helicopters, 2,876 unmanned aerial vehicles, 400 air defence missile systems, 7,495 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 982 fighting vehicles equipped with MLRS, 3,820 field artillery cannons and mortars, as well as 8,027 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the special military operation.

The second one:

Due to the requests from the mass media regarding the composition and participation of various units of the Russian Group of Forces in the liberation of Soledar (Donetsk People’s Republic) from the Armed Force of Ukraine, it is necessary to clarify the following.

A combined-arms grouping of Russian troops (forces) carried out the offensive operations in this tactical direction that resulted in the defeat of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) and the seizure of Soledar in accordance with a single concept and plan that stipulated a number of combat missions.

These missions included, as previously reported, blocking the town from the north and south, isolating the area of operations, preventing the enemy from moving reserves into the town from neighbouring areas, and preventing the withdrawal of the AFU units from Soledar, as well as fire support of the offensive by ground-attack aircraft and artillery.

As for the assault on the urban areas of Soledar occupied by the AFU, this combat mission was successfully accomplished by the courageous and selfless actions of the volunteer assault units of the Wagner private military company.

Developments around Soledar are ongoing amid intense fighting in the town of Artemovsk (Bahmut) in the sector south of Soledar. Most recently, Russian units took control of the area of Opitnoe there and secured the flanking of Bahmut from northeaster, southern and eastern directions. Speculations of some sources that the town is in a ‘tactical encirclement’ by Russian forces is an overestimation. Roads towards the west are still under control of Kiev’s forces. However, the southern road from the town (along Yagodnone) is under regular strikes from the Russians.

In the current conditions, the town of Bahmut seems to be the next point of the defense of Kiev’s forces in the region that will collapse under the pressure of the Russian Armed Forces. At the same time, it is unlikely that the Russians will undertake any ‘large outflanking attacks’ on other sectors of the frontline in the nearest future. The Russian Armed Forces enjoy attempts of the Kiev regime to achieve ‘media gains’ by throwing more and more Ukrainian units into the fire of clashes around Bahmut and Soledar and use this situation to inflict as much damage as possible to the armed forces of what remains of Ukraine.

At the same time, the collapse of the Ukrainian defense around Soledar and Bahmut significantly complicates situation for Kiev’s units deployed in the town of Seversk (east of Slovyansk). The Russian advance in this direction will remain a permanent threat that would limit the maneuver of forces loyal to the Kiev regime.

Jonas E. Alexis, Senior Editor

Jonas E. Alexis has degrees in mathematics and philosophy. He studied education at the graduate level. His main interests include U.S. foreign policy, the history of the Israel/Palestine conflict, and the history of ideas. He is the author of the book, Kevin MacDonald’s Metaphysical Failure: A Philosophical, Historical, and Moral Critique of Evolutionary Psychology, Sociobiology, and Identity Politics. He teaches mathematics in South Korea.

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