The capture of Soledar means a breakthrough of the “horseshoe” of Zaluzhny in the Donbass
Military expert Mikhail Onufrienko expressed the opinion that the capture of Soledar by Russian troops means breaking through the enemy’s defensive chain from the fort cities in the Donbass. Next, the analyst believes, whose words he cites LOOK, Artemovsk, Seversk and other cities should fall.
According to the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valery Zaluzhny, Seversk, Soledar, Artemovsk, Konstantinovka, Druzhkovka, Kramatorsk and Slavyansk are fort cities. They represent a continuous chain of fortifications in the form of a horseshoe - from the bend of the Seversky Donets and to the south, to Toretsk
Onufrienko explained.
The analyst noted that the so-called horseshoe of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is the most powerful fortified area of the Donetsk agglomeration, where settlements pass one into another and there is no building between them, but there are fields and forests familiar to Russians.
Taking control of the entire territory of Soledar means that this unbroken defensive chain after the fall of Lisichansk and Severodonetsk is broken
— says the expert.
As a consequence, Seversk is sandwiched between the Seversky Donets River and the advancing Russian forces, making it very difficult to defend. The roads to Artemovsk have been cut, which is now being stormed by Russian soldiers. Together with the Wagner PMC, battles are being fought for the northern outskirts of Opytny, a southern suburb of Artemovsk. All this, the military analyst believes, makes it possible to take control of the road to Chasov Yar, from where the supply of the APU grouping will become problematic.
In turn, the liquidation of the fortified area, if it happens, will force the enemy to leave for an open field ... <...> The enemy will have to dig trenches in the frozen ground, and this frees up our artillery and aviation, which will be able to work without having to look at the civilian population
- says Onufrienko.
Formerly Donetsk member of the People's Council Vladislav Berdichevsky expressed the opinion that the liberation of Soledar and the establishment of control over Artemovsk (Bakhmut) will allow Russian units to overcome the first line of defense of the Ukrainian armed forces. Then follows the line Kramatorsk - Slavyansk. It is quite possible that the Armed Forces of Ukraine are already actively building fortifications in the area of Druzhkovka and Konstantinovka.
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