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The Soledar Salt Mines are a complex tunnel system over 200 kilometers long beneath the contested territory.
Sven ZieglerEditor News
Bachmut and Soledar: For a few weeks now, the Ukrainian cities, which together have only around 85,000 inhabitants, have suddenly been at the center of hostilities. With heavy losses, the Russian troops try to take the two cities.
In the small town of Soledar near Bachmut, the fighters of the Russian mercenary troop Wagner are now supposed to achieve success. Even Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky (44) had to admit that his troops were finding it difficult to hold the city. Contradictory claims are emerging from the heart of the fighting: While Russia claims to have already captured the city, Ukraine disagrees.
Only: What exactly does Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigoschin (61), who is considered a close confidant of President Vladimir Putin (70), actually want with the 10,000-inhabitant city?
Strategically important city
According to the experts at the US think tank Institute for the Study of War (ISW), the Wagner troops would have several aces up their sleeves should they actually capture the city.
When visiting: This video is supposed to show Prigozhin in Soledar’s salt mine(00:27)
On the one hand, Soledar is on an important connecting road to the nearby city of Slowjansk. So far, the Ukrainian army has used them to supply the troops on the Eastern Front. If the Russians actually manage to conquer Soledar, they would also control the access road – and could cut off some of the Ukrainian troops’ supplies.
In addition, the Wagner troops in Soledar would have access to a gigantic tunnel system under the area. Wagner boss Prigoshin himself makes no secret of the fact that he absolutely wants to conquer the tunnels. It is a “network of underground cities” that could be used to store weapons and as a retreat for troops, he wrote on Telegram. A conquest would be “the icing on the cake,” says Prigozchin.
In fact, the salt and gypsum mines extend over 200 kilometers throughout the area surrounding the two contested cities. Capture would allow the Russians to torpedo Ukrainian positions from below and advance further towards Bakhmut. Because the tunnels run at a depth of more than 100 meters, they are also well protected against attacks from above.
Total conquest not an issue
According to the ISW, Prigozhin could also make coal with the salt from the mines. The Wagner boss could therefore try to mine salt and gypsum and thereby earn money. In this way, the Kremlin’s war chest could be further filled.
From the point of view of Western experts, however, Russia is still a long way from completely conquering the Donbass. British military experts say Russia is unlikely to see a sustained breakthrough in the coming weeks. The Ukrainian defense lines are still “very stable,” writes the British secret service in its situation report on Tuesday.