As Long As There Are Basements, Fighters Will Stay There. AFU General Staff Gives Encouraging Forecast For Bakhmut

The Armed Forces of Ukraine will not leave Bakhmut as long as there are basements in the city where it is possible to hold positions.

This was announced by the Press Secretary of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Andrii Kovaliov on the air of the telethon.

He called the situation in the city under control. Ukrainian military repels enemy attacks.

"As long as Bakhmut has basements and the ability to hold this territory, the fighters will remain there," he said.

Kovaliov added that the occupiers razed Soledar to the ground, so a decision was made to withdraw Ukrainian fighters from there.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, today the General Staff of the Armed Forces explained that the order to the Armed Forces to withdraw from Soledar was given in order to save the lives of the soldiers.

On January 14, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that heavy fighting continues for Soledar of the Donetsk Region.

On January 13, Serhii Cherevatyi, the spokesman of the Eastern Group of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said that the Russian army did not capture Soledar.

On January 16, Cherevatyi emphasized that Soledar cannot be called Russian, because Ukrainian fighters continue to defend the city and destroy the occupiers, preventing them from advancing further.