Russian Forces Claim Victory in Soledar, Set Sights on Bakhmut

A dog walks past a building burned from a strike in Bakhmut, Ukraine, on Dec. 26, 2022. Clodagh Kilcoyne/Reuters

Russian forces are reportedly advancing on the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, having claimed victory in the nearby city of Soledar—assertions that have been denied by officials in Kyiv.

“We have made clear progress,” Igor Kimakovsky, a spokesman for the Moscow-backed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), said on Jan. 12.