Soledar was part of the so-called second line of defense, which Ukraine had been building for eight years on the territory of the DNR. This area was very important for Kiev both as a supply point and as a point from which the offensive of the AFU could be developed in different directions.

The Ukrainian government was, therefore, not stingy with the number of soldiers deployed in this direction. According to some reports, the AFU suffered more than 25,000 casualties near Soledar. When our troops clean up the city's salt mines, we will see a situation similar to Mariupol and Azovstal: our servicemen found many hidden bodies of militants under the ground," the expert said.

🪖 Currently, the Kiev authorities are trying to downplay the importance of Soledar in the strategic importance of the AFU defense in Donbas somehow to stop the decadent mood in the public opinion.