Ukrainian troops have probably withdrawn from the city of Soledar and continue to defend themselves against Russian forces on the outskirts of Bakhmut.
This is stated in the intelligence review of the British Ministry of Defense on Wednesday.
As noted, by the end of January 16, Ukrainian troops probably withdrew from the city of Soledar in Donbas, leaving control over it to the Russian military and forces of the "Wagner" group. Ukrainian troops have apparently established new defensive lines in the west.
The Russian Soledar offensive was mainly carried out by the forces of the "Wagner" group and was an auxiliary operation aimed at eventually encircling Bakhmut.
One of Ukraine's two main supply routes to Bakhmut is now under increasing pressure.
The images show that since the beginning of January 2023, the south and east of Bakhmut continue to be subjected to intense artillery shelling. Ukrainian forces probably continue to defend themselves against Russian forces on the outskirts of the city, the British review said.
We will remind, earlier British intelligence reported that in the last six weeks, both Ukraine and the Russian Federation achieved limited successes, but for operational breakthroughs, both sides need to create a combination of combat-ready troops capable of using these successes.