Changes

On January 8, 2023 Russian forces cut the highway between Bakhmut and Soledar and the highway between Bakhmut and Siversk.  Tactical encirclement of the remaining troops in Soledar was completed on January 9, 2023. On January 10 the Wagner group media announced the capture of Soledar; Yevgeny Prigozhin, founder and head of the Wagner group, personally took part in the campaign and was present on the battlefield.  According to Ukrainian sources, Ukraine lost 17 battalions, roughly 23,000 soldiers, in the Battle of Soledar.  Most of the captured POWs were from the elite 77th Airborne Brigade of the AFU, trained in the UK in late fall 2022.  On January 12, at least 200 Ukrainian soldiers were reported to be hiding in the underground salt mine tunnels, along with large stockpiles of ammunition. Salt Mine No. 7 was rumored to have a tunnel that extended all the way south to Bakhmut.  Salt Mine 7 was captured by Wagner fighters by January 16, 2023. Russian forces rapidly moved on in the Seversk direction.

On January 8, 2023 Russian forces cut the highway between Bakhmut and Soledar and the highway between Bakhmut and Siversk.  Tactical encirclement of the remaining troops in Soledar was completed on January 9, 2023. On January 10 the Wagner group media announced the capture of Soledar; Yevgeny Prigozhin, founder and head of the Wagner group, personally took part in the campaign and was present on the battlefield.  According to Ukrainian sources, Ukraine lost 17 battalions, roughly 23,000 soldiers, in the Battle of Soledar.  Most of the captured POWs were from the elite 77th Airborne Brigade of the AFU, trained in the UK in late fall 2022.  On January 12, at least 200 Ukrainian soldiers were reported to be hiding in the underground salt mine tunnels, along with large stockpiles of ammunition. Salt Mine No. 7 was rumored to have a tunnel that extended all the way south to Bakhmut.  Salt Mine 7 was captured by Wagner fighters by January 16, 2023. Russian forces rapidly moved on in the Seversk direction.

On January 17, 2023, Moonofalabama reported counting 27 brigade size formations of Ukrainian forces in the Bakhmut area. Those forces would constitute 50% of Ukraine's battle ready forces.<ref>https://www.moonofalabama.org/2023/01/ukraine-sitrep-media-ignorance-counter-artillery-war-three-lost-armies-.html</ref>  On January 20 Big Serge stated that "publicly available Ukrainian sources locate at least 34 brigade or equivalent units that have been deployed in the Bakhmut area. Many of these were deployed months ago and are already shattered, but over the full span of the ongoing battle this represents an astonishing commitment."<ref>https://bigserge.substack.com/p/russo-ukrainian-war-the-world-blood</ref>  The estimated life expectancy of a Ukrainian soldier deployed in Bakhmut according to some sources was 4 hours.

On January 17, 2023, Moonofalabama reported counting 27 brigade size formations of Ukrainian forces in the Bakhmut area. Those forces would constitute 50% of Ukraine's battle ready forces.<ref>https://www.moonofalabama.org/2023/01/ukraine-sitrep-media-ignorance-counter-artillery-war-three-lost-armies-.html</ref>  On January 20 Big Serge stated that "publicly available Ukrainian sources locate at least 34 brigade or equivalent units that have been deployed in the Bakhmut area. Many of these were deployed months ago and are already shattered, but over the full span of the ongoing battle this represents an astonishing commitment."<ref>https://bigserge.substack.com/p/russo-ukrainian-war-the-world-blood</ref>  The estimated life expectancy of a Ukrainian soldier deployed in Bakhmut according to some sources was 4 hours.<ref>https://youtu.be/WPCXrRIBMIE?t=613</ref>

===AFU use of chemical weapons===

===AFU use of chemical weapons===