Fierce fighting is underway in the suburbs of Soledar, a town in eastern Ukraine close to that of Bakhmout, the hottest point on the front, said Tuesday the leader of the Russian paramilitary group Wagner. “Let’s be honest (…) The Ukrainian army is fighting bravely for Bakhmout and Soledar. Very hard and bloody fighting is underway in the western suburbs of Soledar,” said Yevgeny Prigojine, quoted on Telegram by his press service.
The main information:
- ‘Bitter and bloody’ fighting is ongoing in Soledar, a town in eastern Ukraine near Bakhmout
- The EU and NATO have pledged to provide Ukraine with all the military means necessary to “defend” their homeland
- A coordination meeting of Western military aid will be held on January 20 in Germany
Soledar, a “bloody” battleground
“The Ukrainian Armed Forces honorably defend the territory of Soledar. Claims of mass desertions from its ranks do not correspond to reality,” added Yevgeny Prigozhin. The town of Soledar, located about ten kilometers northeast of Bakhmout, is close to Bakhmoutské, a village which the pro-Russian separatists claimed to have conquered.
Denis Pushilin, the leader of the separatists in the Donetsk region, whose annexation Moscow claims, also said on Russian television on Tuesday that Soledar was “very close to liberation”. Wagner’s troops play a leading role in the battle for Bakhmout, a city of questionable strategic importance but which has taken on strong symbolic value, as both sides have fought for its control for months. On Monday, Yevgeny Prigojine said the assault on Soledar was “exclusively” led by members of his organization.
The British Ministry of Defense confirmed on Tuesday that the Russian army and Wagner units had made “tactical advances” in Soledar in the past four days and were “most likely seeking to encircle Bakhmout from the north” and “disrupt the Ukrainian lines of communication”. According to this source, part of the fighting is to control the entrance to an old salt mine in Soledar, as its tunnels pass under the front line and could be used to “infiltrate behind enemy lines”.
However, Russia is not likely to encircle Bakhmout “immediately”, according to the British ministry, because the Ukrainian army has “stable defenses in depth” and controls several supply routes for the time being.
EU and NATO step up support for Ukraine
The European Union and NATO pledged on Tuesday to provide the Ukrainians with all the military means necessary to defend their homeland and discussions are scheduled “next week” on the types of weapons that can be provided, the leaders announced. of both organizations. “Discussions are planned next week with the Ukrainians to see what kind of weapons are needed and who among the allies is able to provide them,” Alliance Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said after signing the agreement. a joint declaration with the presidents of the institutions of the European Union.
These discussions will take place within the framework of the Ramstein group (the contact group on the defense of Ukraine) created by the United States, he specified. “Russia has suffered heavy losses, but it should not be underestimated. It is mobilizing more troops and equipment. It is ready to suffer to continue the war. Vladimir Putin has not changed his objective and he we must prepare to support Ukraine in the long term,” insisted Jens Stoltenberg.
“Ukraine must receive all the military equipment it needs to defend its territory,” said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The Europeans were the first to supply military equipment to Ukraine shortly after the start of the conflict, recalled the President of the European Council Charles Michel. “Military support must continue to ensure that Ukraine can defend itself,” said the member states’ representative.
Of the 27 member countries of the EU, 21 are also members of NATO. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Finland and Sweden submitted a joint application to join the Alliance in May, abandoning decades of military non-alignment.
Surprise visit by the head of German diplomacy to Kharkiv
Germany’s foreign minister traveled to Kharkiv in northeastern Ukraine on Tuesday, the first visit by a senior Western official to the war-stricken city close to the Russian border, said his ministry. Invited by her counterpart “and friend” Dmytro Koubela, Annalena Baerbock declared that the Ukrainian population could “count on our solidarity and our support” concerning the supply of generators, transformers, fuel or blankets to survive the freezing winter, according to remarks made in Kharkiv, the second largest city in the country, and transmitted by the German ministry.
“This city is a symbol of the absolute madness of the Russian aggression war in Ukraine and the endless suffering that people, especially here in the east of the country, face every day,” the minister said.
Her visit was made public when she was already on the return train, for security reasons. Many Western leaders have been to Ukraine since the Russian invasion on February 24, including Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron. But none made it that far east where Russian troops seized several territories.
Kharkiv was the target of multiple bombardments early in the conflict, but Ukrainian forces were able to defend it. The fighting front has since moved away and is currently about 130 km from the city. The country can, according to Ms. Baerbock, also count on the delivery of arms which it needs “to liberate its fellow citizens who still suffer from the terror of the Russian occupation”.
After long months of procrastination, Germany recently announced the dispatch of 40 “Marder” armored vehicles by spring. But kyiv continues to demand deliveries of German battle tanks of the “Leopard” type. Within Olaf Scholz’s coalition, the Greens, Ms. Baerbock’s party, and the Liberals are also demanding to go further. The Minister also said that she wanted to discuss the process of joining the European Union to which the country aspires.
Ukraine, along with Moldova, was granted EU candidate status in June. But several representatives of the Member States had already warned them not to “have any illusions” about rapid accession. “It is important to me that we do not lose sight of Ukraine’s place in our European family, even in this winter of war,” said Ms Baerbock.
“Ukrainians also fight every day for the right to live independently. They see their future in Europe, in the EU,” she insisted. The German government intends to “make very concrete offers” to kyiv in order to make progress “in strengthening the rule of law, independent institutions and the fight against corruption (…)”, she said. . This is the third time that Annalena Baerbock has visited Ukraine since the beginning of the Russian invasion, after trips to kyiv and Boutcha, a town near the Ukrainian capital where Russian troops are accused of having committed crimes. of war.
New Western military aid coordination meeting
Western countries providing military aid to Ukraine will hold a new coordination meeting on January 20 at the US base in Ramstein, Germany, the US Air Force Command in Europe announced on Tuesday. Defense ministers and senior military officials from these countries will gather around US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, according to a statement from the command.
The Ukrainian Minister of Defense should also be present, NATO was told. This will be the third meeting in this so-called “Ramstein” format since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24. The EU and NATO promised on Tuesday to provide the Ukrainians with all the military means necessary to defend their homeland and discussions are planned during this meeting on the types of weapons that can be provided, the leaders of the two organizations announced. .
The Ukrainian government asks the allies for the supply of tanks, in particular German Leopard 2s.