Bakhmut at Risk of ‘Envelopment’ as UK Confirms Russian Gains in Soledar

A Ukrainian soldier throws bullet casings from an armored vehicle near Bakhmut, Donetsk region, Ukraine, on Dec. 22, 2022. (Libkos/AP Photo)

The British Defense Ministry has confirmed significant Russian gains in the Donetsk region, raising concerns that the strategic Ukrainian town of Bakhmut—long the scene of intense ground fighting—could soon be encircled by Moscow’s forces.

“In the last four days, Russian and Wagner forces have made tactical advances into the small Donbas town of Soledar and are likely in control of most of the settlement,” the ministry stated in a Jan. 10 intelligence update.

Russian forces deployed in the area include elements of the Donetsk People’s Militia and the Wagner Group, a paramilitary organization directed by the Kremlin.

A Ukrainian officer examines the situation in a shelter in Soledar, the site of heavy battles with Russian forces in the Donetsk region, Ukraine, on Jan. 8, 2023. (Roman Chop/AP Photo)

On Jan. 9, pro-Russian sources in Donetsk reported that the village of Bakhmutske, which sits on Soledar’s southern outskirts, had been taken by the Russians.

Later the same day, a spokesman for the pro-Russian Luhansk People’s Militia claimed that a “massive retreat” by Ukrainian troops was now underway in “urban areas” of Soledar.

Kyiv has reportedly rushed reinforcements to the eastern front amid steadily mounting reports of Russian breakthroughs in and around Bakhmut and Soledar.

Known for its expansive subterranean salt mines, Soledar is located roughly six miles to the northeast of Bakhmut.

Bakhmut (Artyomovsk in Russian) is a vital transport hub that Kyiv has used to resupply its forces in Donbas, a geographical territory that includes both the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

According to the British Defense Ministry, Russia’s ongoing push into Soledar is “likely an effort to envelop Bakhmut from the north and to disrupt Ukrainian lines of communication.”

‘All Eyes Fixed on Bakhmut, Soledar’

Military analysts say the fall of Bakhmut to Russian forces would severely disrupt Ukrainian supply lines to the eastern front.

It would also open the way for a Russian advance on the towns of Kramatorsk and Sloviansk, key Ukrainian strongholds to the northwest.

Earlier this week, the Ukrainian military claimed that its forces had successfully countered repeated Russian attempts to “storm Soledar from different directions.”

The assertion was echoed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who went on to concede that the situation in Soledar was “very difficult.”

A Ukrainian soldier of an artillery unit fires toward Russian positions outside Bakhmut, eastern Ukraine, on Nov. 8, 2022. (Bulent Kilic/AFP via Getty Images)

Oleh Zhdanov, a prominent Ukrainian military analyst, recently described the ongoing fighting in both Bahkmut and Soledar as the “most intense” along the entire 680-mile frontline.

Notably, the Russian Defense Ministry made no mention of either town in its daily briefing for Jan. 10.

However, several Russian and pro-Russian officials have claimed that the capture of Soledar—in its entirety—is imminent.

“All eyes are fixed on Bakhmut and Soledar,” Denis Pushilin, head of the Moscow-backed Donetsk People’s Republic, told Russia’s state-run Channel One broadcaster on Jan. 10.

“Developments there are unfolding in such a way that [Soledar] is close to being liberated—but at great cost.”

He went on to assert that fighting near Soledar had “already shifted westward,” suggesting a possible Russian bid to encircle Bakhmut from the north.

On Jan. 9, Vladimir Novikov, a Russian special forces commander, said the capture of Soledar would likely oblige Ukrainian forces to vacate Bakhmut “to avoid entrapment and total destruction.”

Allies Pledge More Support

In February 2022, Russian forces invaded Ukraine with the stated aim of protecting pro-Russian separatists in Donbas from alleged abuses by the Kyiv government.

Kyiv and its Western allies view Russia’s ongoing “special military operation” in Ukraine as “unprovoked aggression” against a sovereign nation.

In September 2022, Moscow formally incorporated Donetsk, Luhansk, and two other Ukrainian regions into the Russian Federation after holding controversial referendums.

Ukraine and its allies, for their part, reject the legitimacy of the move, which they say amounts to the illegal annexation of territory by Russia.

Kyiv, which has received billions of dollars in financial assistance from its allies—and vast amounts of arms and equipment—has vowed to continue fighting until all four regions have been fully recovered.

Last week, France, Germany, and the United States all pledged to provide the Ukrainian military with fleets of armored fighting vehicles.

The UK is reportedly mulling the possibility of sending combat tanks—for the first time—to Ukraine.

“We will continue to discuss with Ukrainian counterparts what is the best form [of weaponry] we can provide,” a spokesman for UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told reporters on Jan. 10.

Reuters contributed to this report.