WRAPUP 5 Ukraine claims it is holding on despite the intense battles in Soledar

*

Russian mercenaries claim they have captured a mining town

*

Ukraine claims it is holding on; Moscow hasn’t claimed victory

*

Moscow puts the chief of the general staff under direct command

Pavel Polityuk

KYIV (Ukraine), Jan 12 (Reuters – Ukraine stated on Thursday that its troops were still holding on despite heavy fighting in a battlefield in eastern Ukraine. The battle was fought in a salt mine town, which is home to Russian mercenaries, and where Moscow has claimed its first significant victory in half a decade.

Wagner, an ultra-nationalist Russian mercenary organization, is run by an ally to President Vladimir Putin and claims to have captured Soledar following days of intense fighting that left it covered with Ukrainian bodies.

Moscow has so far resisted declaring victory. While Ukraine acknowledged Russian advances, it said that its garrison has not been withdrawn.

Hanna Malyar, Ukrainian Deputy Defence Minister, stated that “fighting is fierce” and added that Russia was “moving over its own corpses”. Reuters could not independently verify the situation in Soledar.

Malyar claimed that Russia had increased the number in Ukraine’s military units to 280, up from 250 the week before. This is in its quest to win the strategic initiative.

Kremlin-watchers were trying digest Russia’s most recent shift in battlefield leader, one day after Valery Gerasimov (the chief of the military’s gend staff) was unexpectedly given the direct command for the invasion. Sergei Surovikin, the previous commander, was effectively deposed to become one of Gerasimov’s three deputies.

Moscow explained that the decision, which was at most the third abrupt change in command in the 11 month conflict, was made as a response the increasing importance of the campaign.

Western commentators and Russians alike saw attempts by Westerners to blame Russia for its setbacks, which have seen Russia lose approximately 40% of the territory that it had seized from February.

Gerasimov, the chief of staff, had been in office for over a decade and was a frequent target of abuse by nationalist bloggers with hundreds of thousands of subscribers. These bloggers have thrived even though the Kremlin has closed all independent media outlets and jailed critics.

“The move will likely be greeted by extreme displeasure among much of the Russian Ultra-Nationalist and Military Blogger community, who have increasingly blamed Gerasimov’s poor execution of war,” Britain’s Ministry of Defence stated.

Rybar, a prominent Russian military blogger, posted on Telegram under the pseudonym Rybar that Surovikin was being made the fall-guy in recent military mishaps.

Other analysts wondered if it was Gerasimov who was being set up: “Has Putin and Defence Minister (Sergei) Shoigu finally put in place all the elements to set up Gerasimov as the fall guy for all of Russia’s failures in the war?” tweeted Mick Ryan, a retired Australian major general.

The defense ministry of Ukraine mocked the joke: “Every Russian general must have at least one chance to fail in Ukraine,” it tweeted. “Some people may be fortunate enough to fail twice.”

COSTLY BATTLES IN THE WINTER MUD

Russia’s capture of Soledar would mark Moscow’s greatest gain since humiliating retreats in 2022. However, military experts believe the cost is not significant after heavy battles that left bodies in the freezing mud.

Soledar had fewer than 10,000 inhabitants before the war. Russia has repeatedly failed to capture Bakhmut (10 times more important) in the same area.

Volodymyr Zeleskiy, President of Ukraine, ridiculed the idea that Russia’s victories were a significant victory.

“Now the terrorist state and its propagandists are trying to pretend that some part of our city of Soledar – a city that was almost completely destroyed by the occupiers – is allegedly some kind of Russia’s achievement,” he said in an overnight address.

Yevgeny Privozhin, Wagner’s boss, claimed that his forces had captured Soledar and killed approximately 500 Ukrainian soldiers after heavy fighting. However, the Kremlin was cautious.

Pavlo Kyrylenko, Donetsk governor, stated to Ukrainian state TV that 559 civilians, 15 children included, remained in Soledar and could not be evacuated as fighting continues.

UKRAINE HOPES for TANKS

Since Russia’s second major retreat in the south two weeks ago, front lines across Ukraine have barely moved.

Kyiv claims it will drive out all Russian troops in this year’s elections and hopes that the arrival of heavy armor from Western allies will enable it to resume its advance in the months ahead.

Last week, France, Germany, and the United States pledged for the first time to supply armoured fighting vehicle. This week, the main battle tank is the focus, potentially making a huge shift in Ukraine’s capabilities.

Polish President Andrzej Duda received a warm welcome in Lviv, Ukraine, on Wednesday. He broke a taboo and promised to deliver the first 14 German-made Leopard tanks as part of an international coalition.

Germany must give permission. Germany says that weapons deliveries must be coordinated. On Wednesday, it said that it wasn’t aware of any requests by its allies to send Leopards into Ukraine. Britain has stated that it is looking at sending tanks.

Putin sent thousands upon thousands of troops into Ukraine on February 24, claiming that Kyiv’s close ties with Western countries threatened Russia’s security. It is a unprovoked war to seize territory, according to Kyiv and its allies.

(Reporting by Reuters bureaus, Writing by Peter Graff, Editing by Kevin Liffey).