The military officer added that according to information received by the Russian intelligence, it is estimated that the enemy will leave Soledar and other surrounding localities in the nearest future.
On December 30, the head of the Lugansk People’s Militia Andrei Marochko reported that the command of the Ukrainian Armed Forces sent detachments consisting of armed mercenaries in North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) style to the towns of Artyomovsk and Soledar.
Meanwhile, Russian army sources reported that in the last hours units of Wagner troops occupied two thirds of Soledar, and many Ukrainian troops withdrew in disorderly fashion.
The Ukrainian military fired five large-caliber shells at the town of Gorlovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic on Saturday, the mayor of that town, Ivan Prikhodko, reported via Telegram.
The attack was directed against a residential area of Gorlovka where the 155-millimeter shells hit and damaged a house.
Earlier, Donetsk authorities reported an attack by the Armed Forces of Ukraine with 14 155 mm shells on Golmovsky, where they hit a residential building, a gas pipeline and a power line.
It was also reported that the Russian anti-aircraft defense systems shot down a drone near the bay of Sevastopol, according to the governor of the republic of Crimea, Mikhail Razvozhayev, who also stated that Ukrainian troops are violating the cease-fire for the Orthodox church Christmas.
This important Crimean port is the main base of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, and in recent months the Kiev regime has made several attempts to attack it with drones.
The previous such attack on Sevastopol took place on January 4, but the two UAVs were shot down by coastal defense over the sea near the city.
On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered to introduce a ceasefire along the entire line of contact in the zone of special military operations from 12:00 Moscow time on January 6 until 24:00 local time on January 7.
The Ukrainian Authorities did not welcome the idea of an Orthodox Christmas ceasefire.
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