Defenders of Soledar leave city – Armed Forces of Ukraine

Serhii Cherevatyi, press secretary of the Eastern group of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, has told the BBC that the defenders have completely left the city of Soledar in Donetsk Oblast. Source: BBC News Ukraine Quote from Cherevatyi: "In order to save the lives of [our] personnel, the defence forces have moved away from Soledar and gained a foothold on pre-prepared defence lines."

Details: According to him, the defenders of Soledar conducted an act of valour; despite the Russians' three- to fivefold advantage, they held their positions powerfully. "They inflicted huge losses on the enemy in personnel, comparable to the losses of the aggressor in two Chechen wars," Cherevatyi noted.

Previously:

On 13 January, the Russian Defence Ministry made an official statement about capturing the city of Soledar; Ukraine's Defence Ministry did not confirm the information, admitting, though, that heavy fighting was taking place there.
On 16 January, Hanna Maliar, Deputy Defence Minister of Ukraine, urged people not to spread unverified information about the fighting in and around Soledar.
On 19 January, US Defence Intelligence assessed the situation in Soledar, saying that the Russians did not have complete control of either Soledar or Bakhmut, where Ukraine's defences are holding on.

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