The battle for Soledar is still going on, and Russia has not succeeded in completely capturing the city. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi repeated his appeal for Western armor.
The small salt mining town of Soledar in eastern Ukraine has been razed to the ground by fierce fighting. Satellite images also show this.
The leader of Wagner, a mercenary army fighting in support of the Russian army Yevgeny Prigozhin announced the takeover of Soledar already yesterday, Wednesday. However, even the Kremlin shot down the claim prematurely.
However, according to British intelligence, Russia has managed to take over parts of Soledar.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi reminded that the city has been almost completely destroyed by the occupiers. He assured that Ukraine will strengthen its defense in the Donetsk region.
Both armies suffered losses
Zelenskyi called Russia a terrorist state, which in its propaganda aims to present the partial occupation of Soledar as an achievement.
There has been continuous fighting at the cost of heavy casualties.
Advisor to the President of Ukraine Myhailo Podoljak said that huge losses had been inflicted on Russia. At the same time, he admitted that Ukraine had suffered significant losses.
According to Podoljak, close combat has taken place in the city, and artillery has been used on both sides.
“The Russians attack over the bodies”
Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine Hanna Malyar said that the Ukrainians still have their side in Soledar.
– The Russians attack over their own bodies and send their soldiers to die by the thousands, Malyar characterized the situation.
Ukraine’s border guard agency released a drone photo of Russians fighting in Soledar taking cover under Ukrainian fire. The news agency Reuters, which transmitted the picture, was able to confirm the shooting location, but it was not possible to confirm the time of the shooting.
More than 500 residents are stuck in Soledar
Governor of Donetsk region Pavlo Kyrylenko said on Ukrainian television that 559 civilians remain in Soledar, 15 of whom are children. It is impossible to evacuate them as the fighting continues.
Ukraine has demanded heavy armor from European countries to support its defense struggle. Also in his last speech, Zelenskyi referred to the need for a Western armored defense.
The appeal is aimed especially at Germany, which manufactures Leopard battle tanks. No decision has yet been made on their delivery to Ukraine.
German-made tank howitzers in Ukraine
However, the country has received other armored vehicles.
In Reuters photos near Soledar, a Ukrainian anti-tank gun fired at Russian positions.
A 33-year-old soldier belonging to the howitzer’s crew, who declared his fighting name to be “Pravda“, said that in Ukraine German-made tank howitzers are involved in combat for the first time – apart from their previous use in the Afghanistan operation.
The Ukrainian soldier praised the features of the howitzer. His interview was interrupted by an alarm, and the journalists present also had to protect themselves.
Sources: Reuters, AFP