According to the president, the situation on the front lines did not undergo significant changes during the first week of the year.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi, speaking about today’s situation on the front lines, noted that heavy fighting continues in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions.

“The situation on the front lines during the first week of the year has not undergone significant changes. Heavy fighting continues in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions – every hot spot in these directions is well known. Bakhmut is holding on despite everything. And although most of the city has been destroyed by Russian strikes, our soldiers are repelling constant attempts there the Russians will advance. Soledar is holding on. Although there is even more destruction there and it is very difficult. There is no piece of land near these two cities on which the occupier would not give his life for the crazy ideas of the masters of the Russian regime,” the head of state said in an evening video address.

According to the president, this is one of the bloodiest places on the front. He also reported that today the commander of the Ground Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Colonel-General Oleksandr Syrskyi, went around the troops defending themselves on the approaches to Bakhmut and Soledar, and awarded the soldiers with awards for steadfastness.

“On the spot, I organized the steps necessary to strengthen our defense. In particular, the transfer of additional units. And increased fire on the occupiers. We must understand that all our positions, all our actions in defense are interconnected, and from the stability and effectiveness of actions at each point the stability and effectiveness of actions on the front in general depends on the front,” Zelensky emphasized.

Battles for Donbas – relevant

Heavy fighting is taking place in Soledar of the Donetsk region, Russian propagandists claimed that the city was allegedly no longer under the control of the Armed Forces, but the General Staff refuted these fakes. Currently, the defenders of Ukraine are trying to level the tactical position near Soledar.

The Russian Federation is also conducting an offensive near Bakhmut. The leader of the “Wagner” PMK Yevgeny Prigozhin does not hide that he is interested in the natural resources of the eastern region, and he is ready to lose hundreds of soldiers in battles.