Posted on 01/10/2023 7:05:59 PM PST by MinorityRepublican
KYIV — The head of a Russian mercenary group fighting in Ukraine claimed on Tuesday that his fighters had seized the town of Soledar, the site of brutal combat recently, which if true would mark the first significant Russian victory after months of setbacks.
In a statement on the Telegram app, Yevgeny V. Prigozhin said troops of his Wagner Group were in control throughout the town, characterizing the remaining fighting as a mop-up operation — a claim that could not immediately be verified and was not confirmed by Ukraine.
“A cauldron has been formed in the center of the city, in which urban battles are being fought,” Mr. Prigozhin said.
Earlier in the day, Britain’s defense ministry said in its daily intelligence update that Russian forces were likely in control of most of Soledar after four days of particularly intense fighting, with heavy casualties, against fierce Ukrainian resistance.
In a bloody back-and-forth over a small patch of territory, Soledar had become the focal point of Russia’s monthslong campaign to seize the city of Bakhmut several miles to the southwest. The Kremlin has made Bakhmut, in turn, the centerpiece of its drive to occupy all of Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region, devoting resources and spilling blood there out of proportion to the city’s size.
The battle highlights the war’s return to grinding attrition in the last two months, after a period of swift offensives over wide swaths of land. The fighting in Soledar has also brought national and international attention to a small town that was previously best known for its cavernous salt mine.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Only a Russian claim at this point, but it appears valid enough for the NY Times to report it, likely in order to soften up their readers for the upcoming really bad news (at least for Leftists).
Not sure one small industrial town means all that much.
A lot more Ukrainians will die before this ends. My guess is it will be 1 million or more.
And the neocons in DC will continue to give money and weapons until Ukraine is completely and utterly depopulated.
The question after that is - where will the next war on Russia’s border occur?
Didn’t Denys D. say Ukraine was pulling back from Soledar? At any rate, the Russians have apparently taken control of some piles of rubble.
If I'm Zelensky, I would call for a cease-fire.
Even if the Ukrainians win this time around. The Russians will win the next time because Ukraine will be depopulated like you said and the the next Russian President will use his army of Chechens to take all of Ukraine.
“Not sure one small industrial town means all that much.”
There’s quite a bit to that town, including underground salt mines. And keep in mind that most of Ukraine’s military is in that part of the country...so it certainly means a lot to Ukraine.
“A lot more Ukrainians will die before this ends. My guess is it will be 1 million or more.And the neocons in DC will continue to give money and weapons until Ukraine is completely and utterly depopulated.”
I agree, but I do think that Europe might just decide to call it a day there, as they’re likely finally figuring out what the real goals of the Neocons are, and they are far more than Ukraine. If they’re smart, they’ll put an end to this and then try to work with Putin in a way that will at least prevent their decline into Third World status (as happened to Argentina, a First World country 100 years ago that also made some really bad decisions).
“The question after that is - where will the next war on Russia’s border occur?”
I’m sure there are some here who are aware of future Neocon plans, but not myself. The problem is that it gets harder and harder, as they learn that allowing NGOs to operate means they’ll be loaded up with Western agents. Hungary and Russia figured that out, sent the NGOs packing, and now they’re in the clear and can actually run their countries without having to look over their shoulders at these foreign operatives.
You act as if the Russians have no responsibility in all of this. They are the one’s who started and continue this. The blood is on their hands.
With whats come out concerning pig face Bidet and his document stash the last few days I expect the cabal in DC to start a hot war with the Russians to take our minds off his criminal activities.
They will use the war powers act.
Not sure one small industrial town means all that much.
———
You really need to follow in depth this war. Soledar is a rail center, road hub, tied to Bakmut, which is even a larger hub. With Soledar wrapped up, Bakmut falls, hard.
After Bakmut falls, the Ukies eastern front will consist of flat plains to the Dniepner River. Not very defensible against Ivan’s massive artillery ( no, Vlad is not running out of ammunition).
Do keep in mind much of Vlads 300,000 prior service call ups have not even entered the battlefield yet….to those that are carefully monitoring the battlefield, there is much criticism questioning why Vlad has not destroyed the 12 bridges across the Dniepner yet, he can do it with the push of a few buttons……when/ if Vlad begins his winter offensive, it is generally thought Ukraine’s entire electricity with be entirely shut down ( no minus 60 percent, rolling black outs) , all bridges across the Dniepner destroyed, all Ukie AA radar eliminated, etc, etc…..fact is Vlad has shown much restraint, pray he continues to do so.
Stay tuned, Biden’s Ukie war cheerleaders are in for one heck of a hang over.
Oh, how the little NGO piggies squealed in Belarus when their little Color Revolution got squashed by the vigilant.
“After Bakmut falls, the Ukies eastern front will consist of flat plains to the Dniepner River. Not very defensible against Ivan’s massive artillery.”
So how come Russia lost on the flat Kherson front and is not advancing on the open steppe of the Zaporozhian Front?
Bakhmut is by far the easiest of what Russia has to take. Anything (from either side) that advances into open terrain gets annihilated by artillery and drones.
Putin’s only plan for the next phase of the war is sending 500K men at once and hoping Ukraine runs out of bullets before Russia runs out of men.
Few people know (and none will say publicly) what layers of defense the Ukraine-Azov Nationalists have arranged west of Bakmut. Have they more trenches and tunnels, needing more bodies to be thrown into its defense - or will it turn into a straight run to the Dneiper?
“Oh, how the little NGO piggies squealed in Belarus when their little Color Revolution got squashed by the vigilant.”
Yep, the word is out regarding NGOs. Next up will be countries asking why the US Embassy needs to be 5 times the size of other embassies.
If Prigozhin said it, it’s as good a source as any
He has always been very cautious about false claims of success while always sure his troops would succeed in time
“Few people know (and none will say publicly) what layers of defense the Ukraine-Azov Nationalists have arranged west of Bakmut. Have they more trenches and tunnels, needing more bodies to be thrown into its defense - or will it turn into a straight run to the Dneiper?”
I don’t have any information, but the people who ACCURATELY report on the war are saying that Bakhmut’s defenses were built up over years, and there’s little behind them until the reach the Dneiper.
Regardless, we’ll soon see if they got that right.
It means they have Bakhmuts encircled and the Ukrainian military at their mercy. Besides that, Soledar was a hub for resupplying Ukraine’s military. Bad news for Ukrainian soldiers. Stop this insanity now.
There's a lot of Ukrainian Army up in Kyiv, they're resting but they're defending the border from Belarus. After all, the Russians invaded on day 1 and tried to seize Kyiv. But in a pinch, they can redeploy troops out of Kyiv to Donbass.
Weird how our resident neoconneds never wonder what kind of shenanigans our "ambassadors" are up to in these giant lairs - even when the activities of ObamaScum like Marie Yovanovitch are laid bare for all the world to see.
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