Ukrainian authorities warned Monday that the Russian Army has launched a new offensive against the town of Soledar, north of Bakhmut in Donetsk, after the latest failed attempts to seize control of the locality.
«The enemy has deployed a large number of assault groups made up of the best reserves of the Wagnerians,» Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar said, referring to the Wagner Group mercenaries.
However, Malyar ironized that Russia is launching an offensive now against the corpses of those Russian servicemen who lost their lives in the last attempted assault on Soledar, as reported by the Ukrinform news agency.
«The enemy is literally attacking the corpses of its own soldiers, massively using artillery, volley fire systems and mortars, covering even its own fighters with fire,» the Ukrainian deputy defense minister said.
Thus, Malyar summed up that in Soledar «fierce battles are taking place at the moment», although he stressed that the Ukrainian troops are «bravely» defending every square meter of territory.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday praised the resistance of the Ukrainian forces in Soledar during his daily speech broadcast in a video on social networks.
«Thanks to the resistance of the defenders of Soledar Ukraine has gained more time and strength» despite «harsh» Russian attacks, Zelensky said. «Bajmut and Soledar, Kreminna and Svatov (…), the battle for the Donbas continues and although the occupiers have now concentrated their greatest efforts on Soledar, the outcome of this long and difficult battle will be the liberation of the entire Donbas,» he noted.
Zelensky has reproached Moscow that the area they are attacking is «completely destroyed». «There is almost no life left there and thousands of people have died: the land of Soledar is covered with the corpses of the invaders and the scars of explosions. It is the spitting image of madness,» he added.
Zelenski also recalled his «diplomatic marathon» to gain support for the war, which began last month with his trip to Washington and continued in recent days with talks with the leaders of the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Portugal and North Macedonia.
The efforts of the Russian Armed Forces have been focused in the last days on achieving without success the control of the city of Bajmut and its surroundings, where not only Soledar is located, but also Bajmutske, a small locality that Moscow has assured this Monday to have conquered.
Bakhmut has recently become one of the hottest spots in the conflict in Ukraine. The Kiev authorities have repeatedly detailed that it is precisely in this town that Russia is now concentrating almost all its efforts.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
