Ukrainian Soldier Dismisses Russia's Soledar Success: 'Don't Spread Panic'

A Ukrainian soldier has dismissed Russia's success in capturing Soledar—a small but strategically-important town in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region—urging people "not to spread panic" and reiterating that the nearby larger city of Bakhmut is holding up.

The fight for the Soledar has taken a huge toll on Russian and Ukrainian forces. The town is nine miles north of Bakhmut, a flashpoint for troops from the Wagner Group of mercenaries fighting for Moscow and financed by the businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin. On January 10, Progzhin said in a Telegram post that his group now controls the entire town. Soledar has a massive network of underground tunnels and salt mines and is seen by some analysts as the critical step in Moscow's goal in encircling and recapturing the key city of Bakhmut.

But British defense officials said, that as of Sunday, Ukrainian forces have "almost certainly maintained positions" in the town, despite the Wagner assaults.

In a TikTok video message dated January 16, a Ukrainian soldier fighting on the frontlines sought to dispel panic about Russia claiming Soledar.

"The informational war is unfortunately happening not only on the battlefield but more in the heads of our people," the soldier, who according to the War Translated Twitter page is called Kiyanyn, said. "And a lot of work needs to be done to improve this as thousands of people like me are doing our work on the frontline, and doing it very well."

The serviceman said that Ukrainian infantry was holding off the Russians in the region, "but unfortunately on the international front, we are losing in places because our people believe in some lies and bulls***."

"In short, on Soledar: do not expect any panic, the city is rather small... the occupiers are having 'gigantic success' there?" he said.

"Forget it, remember where they were. They were near Kyiv, they were near Kherson, that captured Kharkiv Oblast. Where are they now? The fact that they were killing one battalion per day and completely devastated the city...there's no point for us being there, we need to preserve experienced infantry, brave infantry."

He said that having spent two months on the frontlines in Bakhmut the situation there was difficult, but it is much better now.

"Bakhmut is under serious shelling, serious as always, just the intensity is higher, with artillery, mortars, MLRS, aviation, again trying to break the defense with masses of infantry like in Soledar.

They need to show another 'victory' over tiny towns. But Bakhmut is holding, it's standing. Don't spread panic. Be careful and watchful."

He said that Bakhmut is Ukrainian and there the national flag flies there, as well as the country's military.

The soldier added that Commander-in-Chief Valeriy Zaluzhny "knows what he is doing."

"Everything that's happening at Soledar and Bakhmut is not for no reason. The general will not tell you a lot of information that you do not need. You know the information that you need to know. Bakhmut is holding."

Newsweek has contacted military analysts for comment.