CNN journalists say to have witnessed organised retreat of Ukrainian Forces from Soledar
A camera crew of the CNN television network stated that they witnessed an organised pullback of Ukrainian defenders from the city of Soledar on Friday, 13 January.
Source: CNN
Quote: "The team, positioned approximately 2.5 miles (about 4 kilometres) from Soledar, witnessed Ukrainian forces ferrying troops out on Friday afternoon, in what appeared to be an organised pullback from the town [Soledar – ed.]" .
Details: The journalists also reported that there was no panic among the withdrawing Ukrainian troops.
Background:
On 13 January, the Russian Defence Ministry made an official statement about the capture of the city of Soledar in Donetsk Oblast.
On 13 January, Hanna Maliar, the Deputy Minister of Defence of Ukraine, reported that the night in Soledar in Donetsk Oblast was difficult, but Ukrainian defenders were trying to hold the defence, and the battles continued.
In his evening video address on 12 January, President Zelenskyy emphasised that Ukrainian defenders were holding the city.
On 12 January, the US Department of Defense did not confirm that Soledar in Donetsk Oblast had been captured by the Russian occupiers.
On 13 January, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported that Russian forces likely captured the city of Soledar. However, this is unlikely to lead to an imminent Russian encirclement of Bakhmut.
On 13 January the spokesman of the US Department of State said that the tactical advance of the invaders on the front would not be able to change the strategic failure of Russia and the course of the war in general.
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