>

I believe Ukraine still has control over the westernmost part of the city. Most of the people showing live-maps pointed to a western area of salt mining that was still under Ukrainian control.
Congratulations Russia. You've only lost thousands of soldiers KIA/WIA to take....one flank of Bakhmut...a city with almost no tactical significance you've chosen to impale yourselves on.
"Hundreds of scared young soldiers and civilians died, but it was all worth it to plant our flag on this crumbling rubble pile!" >

Wagner Leader; "~~Some~~ Thousands of you may die, but that is a risk I'm willing to take." >

To be fair the head of Wagner lost his dick to a HIMARS rocket he then sent the chunk of shrapnel that took his dick off to macron resulting in Ukrainian getting modern IFVS >

I thought that was the Russian space agency asshole >

The daily casualty count is fucking insane. Russia has lost like ten thousand men and more tanks and artillery than a lot of countries even have fighting over an abandoned mine and a gas station. >

What happens to all the bodies?? I assume most of them just sit and decay. I can’t imagine the stench in some of these areas. >

You recall the reports of mobile crematories?….yeppers >

I believe it but I doubt most of the bodies are being collected. >

Yeah l imagine it would take a while to burn those bodies and in my opinion the mobile crematories were largely to hide both the bodies of those who were tortured and hide losses. >

WWI tactics seem somewhat affective if you don't mind having your conscripts slaughtered >

They “won” here through brute force. Zapp Brannigan is supposed to be a joke.
At this rate, Russia will “win” Donbas after losing 2 or 3 million more soldiers.
Russia motto, you can’t shoot ALL of us! >

“But we’ll all die!” - Soldier #6383946
“That’s a risk I’m willing to take!” - Zapp Brannigan/Russian Command. >

Putin is Lord Farquaad >

The dictator is in love with the free country! >

New Army commander for Russia = new pronouncement about having captured Soledar.  For the 4th or 5th time but who is counting?
Much of eastern Soledar is nothing but ruins.  Ukraine is fighting a very tactical battle. They have defense in depth, and their strategy is to incur as many enemy casualties as possible in return for as few of their own. They are not wed to any particular piece of territory, and retain excellent counter offensive capability.
Soledar is a rather "long" town in geographic orientation. Russia is in and out of the eastern tip of it, and for some time a portion just west of the eastern edge of Soledar running west as far as the middle of the town has been a no man's land of constant fighting. Russia pushes into it, Ukraine watches them push then it attacks with artillery and has men at defensive positions fight, and then if deemed appropriate they may withdraw back whether 5 meters or 50, and then they stand again while their artillery does the work.
There will be a point when Ukraine pushes back hard. Even the push back may be temporary, but Ukraine has decided the enemy is weak and there is an opportunity to wrack up Russian casualties.
Despite what Russia positions in media and through its many social media bots its resources are not limitless. Their level of shelling on a consistent basis across the entire front line of contact is down by 75%. They disguise this by engaging in short duration artillery missions of high intensity, particularly in the attacks in this sector, but also on some Ukrainian civilian positions all along the line as actually few shells damaging civilian infrastructure are all that is needed to generate big news of terrible consequences (to the poor civilians). But the tell tale signs in respect of declining consistency are there for we analysts to assess.
A 2nd telling feature is that pressure on Bakhmut and other active areas of the line has declined as they shifted resources to Soledar and to Luhansk near Kreminna. Again this portends to Russia experiencing a manpower shortage whereas if this was not the case they would be attacking at 20+ points in a significant way, vs 2-3.
It is the same again with missile and Iranian drone attacks. It they had the limitless resources they pump out in propaganda pieces we would not be going weeks between missile volleys - which have also declined in number in all the more recent attacks. Russia hopes for a big score in each attack so that they can use the news to obfuscate the details about resources and failures.
I suggest to all: it is what you do not see vs what is visible and touted in media that one should pay close attention. Russia is the master of bullshit baffles brains: particularly simple brains. Don't be the simple brain. Look beyond the veneer. >

People were also talking about Soledar as being important for logistics. It was in artillery range for a long time. >

They captured Soledar Four Seasons Landscaping >

Well played sir.  Well played >

Russia tried to say GG early, assholes. >

twice, here's hoping they lose and rage quit >

CNN reporter they're retreating at the same time.. >

When the game is over after your team gets 20 kills:
Prigozhin: 19 kills “GG EZ”
Ukraine: “Not so fast!” >

The mercenaries believe that there is vast amounts of weapons and treasure hidden in those salt caves from the Soviet era. You can always count on mercenaries to plunder natural resources in one way or another it's 100% accurate indicator that they are there. Now when they're all safe in their hole it's time for the Americans to send in some bunker busters baby seal them in move forward. >

Russia is not fighting this battle, The Wagner Group is. Putins "Chef" has gone to great lengths to make this clear. Chef Boyardee is challenging the preeminence of the Russian Army, and perhaps Putin himself. How long will Putin and the Russian army staff put up with this insubordination?