Satellite images released by the Maxar company show the scale and intensity of the ongoing fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces in the Donetsk region. In particular, we can see the damage caused to Soledar between August 2022 and January 2023.
Many craters are visible in the fields and along the roads. Homes, schools and buildings were destroyed by the long battles and artillery exchanges in the area.
The Ukrainian army is defending Soledar despite a “difficult situation”, Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Ganna Maliar said, “and the fiercest and most violent fighting continues today in the area of Soledar”.
Prior to the conflict, Soledar was just a small town of about 10,000 people primarily known for its salt mines. Its name also means “gift of salt” in Ukrainian and Russian.
Located in the Donetsk region, which Moscow claims to have annexed, it is about 15 kilometers northeast of Bakhmout, a larger city that has been in Russian sights for several months.
