Click to see full-size image
Russian assault units continue to expand the bridgehead around Soledar and are close to surround the Ukrainian grouping in Bakhmut. In recent days, Wagner’s fighters who operate in this area have achieved new victories.
On January 23, the Russian Ministry of Defense confirmed Russian control of the village of Krasnopolye (Kranopolevka) in the Donetsk People’s Republic. Two days before, on January 21, Vladimir Rogov, a member of the Main Council of the administration of the Zaporozhye region, also claimed Russian control of the village. Acting head of the republic Denis Pushilin also confirmed that the mop up operation in the village has been completed.
Pushilin added that “not everything is so easy” in the region, because the enemy “resists”. “It is absolutely fair to say here that this is not an easy walk for the guys [Russian servicemen]. Every house, every facility, every enemy firing point is being gnawed out there,” he said. According to him, “the heaviest” and “bloody” battles are taking place in the region.
Krasnopolye is located north of the Sol railway station, 5 km from Soledar and about 20 km from Artemovsk (Bakhmut). After its liberation, Russian forces continued their offensive north from Soledar along one of the highways to Seversk and are breaking through new Ukrainian defense lines near the village of Razdolovka. Not far to the east, Wagner’s fighters are advancing near Veseloe.
Control over all settlements on the northwestern outskirts of Soledar will allow the Russian military to establish a bridgehead on the eastern bank of the Bakhmutka River.
18+: Ukrainian positions destroyed in Krasnopolye:
The AFU leaving the Soledar region:
Chechen special forces inspect the post office building in Soledar:
The main strategic goal of the Wagner fighters is the operational encirclement of Bakhmut, where, according to various reports, there are about 20 brigades of the AFU and foreign units. Today, the city is already in a tactical encirclement.
“The AFU have only one road left to get to Bakhmut, the rest of the ways were cut off,” the acting head of the DPR confirmed on January 24.
Previously, the AFU had three roads a railway track leading to Bakhmut to send reinforcement to the garrison. Now the control of two out of three highways is lost. From the northern direction of the AFU blew up a railway bridge in the area of Paraskoviyivka on January 24. As a result, the road to Slavyansk was blocked. From the western direction, the highway leading from Krasnoye (Ivanovskoye) is under the fire control of the Russians. Today, Russian forces need to cut the road to Chasov Yar or establish fire control of it to incircle the city of Bakhmut.
Shooting battle filmed by the AFU on the outskirts of Bakhmut:
To the north of Bakhmut, fighting continues for control of the villages of Krasnaya Gora and Blagodatnoe. Russian assault there began shortly after the liberation of Soledar in mid-January. Russian forces are advancing towards the Paraskovievka. On January 24, they entered the southeastern quarters of the town.
It is reported that the Ukrainian defense in the region is held by the 24 separate mechanized brigade from Lviv, which has already suffered heavy losses during the battles in the Podgorodnoe. It is reported that since the beginning of the year, the brigade has already lost about 800 servicemen who were killed and wounded.
In Bakhmut, fighting continues on the northeastern outskirts. The battle in the private sector continues on the streets of Sovkhoznaya and Trydovuk Reservov. Wagner fighters also advanced south through the forest area and reached the territory of the meat processing plant.
Fighting in the area of the meet processing plant:
In the eastern part of the city, there are battles in the industrial zone along Patrice Lumumba Street. Azov Nazis, “Georgian Legion” and other foreign mercenaries were deployed in this area.
Wagner fighters on the south-eastern outskirts:
In the southeastern part of the city, heavy fighting is ongoing in the private sector in Zabakhmutka. Battles continue on Vatutin Street. Wagner fighters are also moving west from Fedor Maksimenko Street. Fighting continues on the streets of Kotsyubinsky and Ivan Franko, where new Ukrainian positions were defeated.
Fighting on Vatutin Street:
Estonian mercenary in Bakhmut
On the southern outskirts of Bakhmut, Wagner fighters managed to take control of the residential quarters when advancing from their positions in Opytnoe. They broke through the enemy’s defenses and continue their assault in the area of the Mariupol Cemetery and Kotovsky Street.
To the west of the city, after the victory in Kleshcheyevka, Russian forces approached their main strategic goal to take control of the Bakhmut-Chasov Yar highway. To date, fighting continues in the area of the village of Ivanovskoe (Krasnoe). Russian control of it will allow them to cut the road to Bakhmut, which is already under the fire control of Russian artillery, as well as to shell the last road leading to the city from Chasov Yar.
On January 21, Ukrainian Mi-8 helicopter was shot down over Bakhmut:
Shelling in the western districts of Bakhmut:
The Canadian Roshel Senator armored vehicle of the AFU destroyed in Bakhmut. Two soldiers were reportedly wounded, another was killed:
Sky News showed Ukrainian fortifications in Bakhmut, the reason why the cities are destroyed:
Firing point of the AFU in an apartment:
Russian units almost control all important heights in the area of the liberated village of Kleshcheyevka, this provides them with additional opportunities to attack Artemovsk (Bakhmut), Pushilin said. “The enemy resists, there are no prerequisites that he surrenders, puts down his weapons and retreats,” he added.
The fighting is going on in the eastern and southern parts of Artemovsk (Bakhmut), soon it will be possible to talk about the operational encirclement of Ukrainian troops in the city, commander of Russian Special Rapid Response Unit “Akhmat” Apti Alaudinov said.
Head of the Wagner PMC Evgeny Prigozhin claimed that “the goal in Bakhmut is to destroy the Ukrainian army in the vicinity of the city and to prevent any offensive actions in any direction of the front. All their combat-ready units of the AFU are sent to Bakhmut. And the Wagner PMCs destroy them, opening up operational opportunities in other areas”. To date, Wagner fighters are coping well with the task.
