Tass writes that the Bakhmutskoye settlement fell on Monday 9 January.
– Since January 9, 2023, Bakhmutskoye has been liberated on the territory of the Donetsk People’s Republic by the Russian Armed Forces, they write in Telegram.
The information has not been confirmed by independent sources.
– For now, there is no reason to rely on this information. It would be strange if the Russians suddenly made such a huge advance at Bakhmut, Lieutenant General Arne Bård Dalhaug tells Dagbladet.
Dagbladet first wrote that the city of Bakhmut was taken. The correct thing is that the Bakhmutskoye settlement, near Bakhmut, should have fallen into the hands of the Russians.
– Important step
According to the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, the situation is “very difficult” in Soledar, a town near Bakhmut. They reported it on Sunday.
Tom Røseth, head intelligence lecturer at the Norwegian Defense Academy, says Bakhmutskoye is not that important in itself, but an important step on the road to Bakhmut.
– If they also manage to take Soledar, they have control over the salt mines there, so they gain access to resources and a very large underground facility. This also makes it easier to catch Bakhmut, he says.
This is how they will finance the war
Furthermore, Røseth points out that saying something was taken before it actually happened before.
– There is probably a lot of propaganda and information warfare. But we must not underestimate the fact that there is Russian progress in this area. If they took Bakhmutskoye, it’s progress that doesn’t have great strategic significance, but it shows that there are fierce battles going on and that the Ukrainians had to give up territory, he says.
The Russians, and particularly Private Army Group Wagner, have concentrated on the area over time, according to Røseth.
– On the American side it has been stated that the Wagner group will use the resources of the area to finance the war. But it is not certain that they will be able to use it, unless they secure an even larger area. They will still be under fire from the Ukrainians.
– But the Russians have been struggling to take new areas since last summer – at extremely high cost, and then go big.
– Desperate attempts
Ukraine’s Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said on Sunday that fierce fighting was taking place in eastern Ukraine as Russian forces made desperate attempts to capture any settlements.
– Ukrainian forces are defending and advancing little by little, even in the east, he said on Sunday.
Dalhaug points out that the unexpected always happens in war and that one can never be sure of anything.
– But Ukraine has made progress in the area, and the ISW think tank recently reported that Ukrainian forces have retaken areas around Bakhmut.
A spokesman for Ukrainian forces in the east said on Saturday, according to the Ukrainian newspaper Kyiv Independent, that Ukraine still controls Soledar, despite Russia’s claims to the contrary.
There has been fierce fighting in Bakhmut in recent months.
