Ukraine’s Deputy Defense Minister Anna Malyar described the situation in Soledar as very difficult during a televised charity broadcast, noting that a large portion of the national forces had endured a demanding and trying trial. She emphasized that the armed forces were undergoing a challenging period, with some sectors in the Donetsk region making progress while others faced significant hurdles.
She stated that the current circumstances in Soledar are exceptionally strenuous, reflecting the overall pressure on Ukrainian troops in the region.
Malyar pointed out that the mobilized personnel now constitute a substantial share of Ukraine’s military, having persevered through a harsh moral and physical test shaped by the realities of ongoing warfare.
Vitaly Kiselyov, a former deputy minister of internal affairs for the Luhansk People’s Republic, indicated that the Ukrainian forces could potentially withdraw from Soledar, a city situated within the Donetsk People’s Republic.
At present, there is no precise information about when Ukrainian armed forces might depart from Soledar, leaving room for continued uncertainty in the area.
In a separate historical note, on February 24, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the decision to launch a special military operation in Ukraine in response to a request for assistance from the leaders of the LPR and DPR, marking a pivotal moment in the ongoing crisis.