The central quarters of Soledar were almost completely destroyed due to artillery strikes of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU). This was reported on December 14 by RIA Novosti with reference to its correspondent from the scene.
“There were whole pharmacies here, shops — that’s all that is here now, all of this was not there — that is, it was all whole, nothing was destroyed,” said a Wagner PMC fighter who participated in the operation to storm the city.
He also added that the artillery of the Armed Forces of Ukraine purposefully destroyed residential areas of the city. In addition, the fighter spoke about an unexploded ordnance that hit a kindergarten.
Earlier that day, it was reported that the Armed Forces of Ukraine were hitting humanitarian convoys with refugees in Soledar of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) with phosphorus shells.
The operation of the Russian troops to liberate the city ended on the evening of January 12. This week, the Russian Defense Ministry announced the blockade of Soledar from the northern and southern parts of the city, and on January 11, the founder of the Wagner group, businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin, announced that Soledar had been completely liberated from Ukrainian nationalists.
Currently, Russian servicemen are clearing the mines.
Russia continues a special operation to protect the Donbass, whose residents refused to recognize the results of the 2014 coup d’état in Ukraine. The decision to start it was made on February 24 against the background of the aggravation of the situation in the region due to shelling by Ukrainian troops.
For more up-to-date videos and details about the situation in Donbass, watch the Izvestia TV channel.
