{"id":3034,"date":"2023-01-12T08:44:11","date_gmt":"2023-01-12T08:44:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/londonpost.news\/?p=3034"},"modified":"2023-03-23T18:36:28","modified_gmt":"2023-03-23T18:36:28","slug":"russia-shakes-up-its-military-as-war-intensifies-more-in-ukraine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/fr\/analysis\/defense\/russia-shakes-up-its-military-as-war-intensifies-more-in-ukraine\/2023\/01\/12\/admin1\/","title":{"rendered":"Russia shakes up its military as war intensified more in Ukraine"},"content":{"rendered":"

KIEV,<\/span> UKRAINE<\/span> (AP)<\/span> –<\/span> The<\/span> fate<\/span> of<\/span> a<\/span> run-down<\/span> salt-mining<\/span> town<\/span> in<\/span> eastern<\/span> Ukraine<\/span> was<\/span> at<\/span> stake<\/span> in<\/span> one<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> bloodiest<\/span> battles<\/span> of<\/span> Wednesday’s<\/span> Russian<\/span> invasion,<\/span> but<\/span> Ukraine’s<\/span> relentless<\/span> resistance<\/span> and<\/span> other<\/span> challenges<\/span> This<\/span> has<\/span> shaken<\/span> Moscow’s<\/span> military<\/span> leadership.<\/span> Also.<\/span><\/p>\n

Russian<\/span> forces<\/span> bombarded<\/span> Soledar<\/span> in<\/span> relentless<\/span> attacks<\/span> using<\/span> jets,<\/span> mortars,<\/span> and<\/span> rockets.<\/span>
\n<\/span>Soledar’s<\/span> downfall,<\/span> though<\/span> unlikely<\/span> to<\/span> be<\/span> the<\/span> turning<\/span> point<\/span> in<\/span> his<\/span> nearly<\/span> 11-month<\/span> war,<\/span> will<\/span> come<\/span> at<\/span> a<\/span> cost<\/span> for<\/span> the<\/span> Kremlin,<\/span> which<\/span> has<\/span> been<\/span> hungry<\/span> for<\/span> good<\/span> news<\/span> from<\/span> the<\/span> battlefield<\/span> over<\/span> the<\/span> past<\/span> few<\/span> months.<\/span> It<\/span> also<\/span> provides<\/span> a<\/span> springboard<\/span> for<\/span> Russian<\/span> forces<\/span> to<\/span> occupy<\/span> other<\/span> areas<\/span> of<\/span> Donetsk<\/span> province<\/span> still<\/span> under<\/span> Ukrainian<\/span> control,<\/span> such<\/span> as<\/span> the<\/span> nearby<\/span> strategic<\/span> city<\/span> of<\/span> Bakhmut.<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Donetsk<\/span> and<\/span> neighboring<\/span> Luhansk<\/span> province,<\/span> which<\/span> make<\/span> up<\/span> the<\/span> Donbass<\/span> region<\/span> bordering<\/span> Russia,<\/span> were<\/span> Russia’s<\/span> biggest<\/span> territorial<\/span> targets<\/span> for<\/span> an<\/span> invasion<\/span> of<\/span> Ukraine,<\/span> but<\/span> the<\/span> fighting<\/span> has<\/span> largely<\/span> stalled.<\/span> In<\/span> apparent<\/span> acknowledgment<\/span> of<\/span> a<\/span> setback<\/span> on<\/span> the<\/span> battlefield,<\/span> the<\/span> Russian<\/span> Defense<\/span> Ministry<\/span> has<\/span> announced<\/span> the<\/span> demotion<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> Russian<\/span> military<\/span> commander<\/span> in<\/span> Ukraine<\/span> after<\/span> just<\/span> three<\/span> months<\/span> in<\/span> office.<\/span> Russia’s<\/span> top<\/span> military<\/span> officer<\/span> –<\/span> General<\/span> Valery<\/span> Gerasimov,<\/span> chief<\/span> of<\/span> staff<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> army<\/span> –<\/span> has<\/span> been<\/span> named<\/span> to<\/span> replace<\/span> General<\/span> Sergei<\/span> Slovikin,<\/span> who<\/span> was<\/span> demoted<\/span> to<\/span> his<\/span> lieutenant.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ukrainian<\/span> officials<\/span> have<\/span> denied<\/span> Russian<\/span> claims<\/span> that<\/span> the<\/span> Soledar<\/span> crashed,<\/span> but<\/span> the<\/span> owner<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> Wagner<\/span> Group<\/span> reiterated<\/span> claims<\/span> of<\/span> a<\/span> breakthrough<\/span> late<\/span> Wednesday.<\/span> Evgeny<\/span> Prigozhin<\/span> wrote<\/span> on<\/span> Russian<\/span> social<\/span> media<\/span> platforms<\/span> that<\/span> he<\/span> “wanted<\/span> to<\/span> once<\/span> again<\/span> confirm<\/span> the<\/span> complete<\/span> liberation<\/span> and<\/span> cleansing<\/span> of<\/span> Soledar’s<\/span> territory<\/span> from<\/span> units<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> Ukrainian<\/span> army.”<\/span> “Civilians<\/span> have<\/span> withdrawn.<\/span> Ukrainian<\/span> units<\/span> that<\/span> refused<\/span> to<\/span> surrender<\/span> have<\/span> been<\/span> destroyed,”<\/span> he<\/span> said,<\/span> claiming<\/span> that<\/span> about<\/span> 500<\/span> people<\/span> were<\/span> killed<\/span> and<\/span> “the<\/span> whole<\/span> city<\/span> is<\/span> littered<\/span> with<\/span> the<\/span> bodies<\/span> of<\/span> Ukrainian<\/span> soldiers.”<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

The<\/span> Ukrainian<\/span> military<\/span> said<\/span> late<\/span> Wednesday<\/span> that<\/span> Russian<\/span> forces<\/span> had<\/span> suffered<\/span> “huge<\/span> casualties”<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> Battle<\/span> of<\/span> Soleda.<\/span><\/p>\n

Kremlin<\/span> spokesman<\/span> Dmitry<\/span> Peskov<\/span> paused<\/span> to<\/span> explain<\/span> the<\/span> capture<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> community,<\/span> telling<\/span> reporters<\/span> that<\/span> the<\/span> Russian<\/span> army<\/span> had<\/span> achieved<\/span> “advance<\/span> and<\/span> positive<\/span> momentum”<\/span> at<\/span> Soledar.<\/span> “Let’s<\/span> wait<\/span> for<\/span> an<\/span> official<\/span> statement<\/span> instead<\/span> of<\/span> rushing,”<\/span> he<\/span> added.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Ukrainian<\/span> President<\/span> Volodymyr<\/span> Zelensky<\/span> said<\/span> in<\/span> his<\/span> nightly<\/span> video<\/span> address<\/span> Wednesday:<\/span>
\n<\/span>“Now<\/span> the<\/span> terrorist<\/span> state<\/span> and<\/span> its<\/span> propaganda<\/span> are<\/span> trying<\/span> to<\/span> pretend<\/span> that<\/span> part<\/span> of<\/span> our<\/span> city,<\/span> Soledal,<\/span> almost<\/span> completely<\/span> destroyed<\/span> by<\/span> the<\/span> occupying<\/span> forces,<\/span> is<\/span> probably<\/span> a<\/span> Russian<\/span> achievement.<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Soledar,<\/span> known<\/span> for<\/span> its<\/span> salt<\/span> mining<\/span> and<\/span> processing,<\/span> is<\/span> of<\/span> little<\/span> intrinsic<\/span> value,<\/span> but<\/span> is<\/span> strategically<\/span> located<\/span> 10<\/span> kilometers<\/span> (6<\/span> miles)<\/span> north<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> town<\/span> of<\/span> Bakhmut,<\/span> where<\/span> Russian<\/span> forces<\/span> are<\/span> about<\/span> to<\/span> besiege.<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Taking<\/span> Bakhmut<\/span> cuts<\/span> Ukrainian<\/span> supply<\/span> lines<\/span> and<\/span> opens<\/span> the<\/span> way<\/span> for<\/span> the<\/span> Russians<\/span> to<\/span> advance<\/span> towards<\/span> Kramatorsk<\/span> and<\/span> Sloviansk,<\/span> Ukrainian<\/span> strongholds<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> Donetsk<\/span> region.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Putin<\/span> has<\/span> identified<\/span> the<\/span> Donbass<\/span> region<\/span> as<\/span> a<\/span> flashpoint<\/span> for<\/span> the<\/span> civil<\/span> war,<\/span> where<\/span> Moscow-backed<\/span> separatists<\/span> have<\/span> fought<\/span> since<\/span> 2014.<\/span> Russia<\/span> conquered<\/span> almost<\/span> all<\/span> of<\/span> Luhansk<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> summer.<\/span> Donetsk<\/span> escaped<\/span> the<\/span> same<\/span> fate,<\/span> after<\/span> which<\/span> the<\/span> Russian<\/span> army<\/span> poured<\/span> manpower<\/span> and<\/span> resources<\/span> into<\/span> Bakhmut.<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

The<\/span> War<\/span> Institute<\/span> said<\/span> Russian<\/span> forces<\/span> faced<\/span> “coordinated<\/span> Ukrainian<\/span> military<\/span> resistance”<\/span> around<\/span> Bakhmut.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Polish<\/span> President<\/span> Andrzej<\/span> Duda<\/span> said<\/span> his<\/span> country<\/span> was<\/span> ready<\/span> to<\/span> send<\/span> German-made<\/span> Leopard<\/span> tanks<\/span> to<\/span> help<\/span> Ukraine<\/span> as<\/span> part<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> larger<\/span> United<\/span> Nations.<\/span> After<\/span> the<\/span> meeting<\/span> in<\/span> Lviv,<\/span> Duda<\/span> spoke<\/span> with<\/span> Zelensky,<\/span> who<\/span> said<\/span> Ukraine<\/span> needed<\/span> tanks<\/span> to<\/span> win<\/span> the<\/span> war.<\/span> In<\/span> Britain,<\/span> another<\/span> staunch<\/span> ally<\/span> of<\/span> Ukraine,<\/span> a<\/span> spokesman<\/span> for<\/span> Prime<\/span> Minister<\/span> Rishi<\/span> Sunak<\/span> said<\/span> no<\/span> final<\/span> decision<\/span> had<\/span> yet<\/span> been<\/span> made<\/span> on<\/span> whether<\/span> to<\/span> send<\/span> tanks.<\/span><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

KIEV, UKRAINE (AP) – The fate of a run-down salt-mining town in eastern Ukraine was at stake in one of the bloodiest battles of Wednesday’s Russian invasion, but Ukraine’s relentless resistance and other challenges This has shaken Moscow’s military leadership. Also. Russian forces bombarded Soledar in relentless attacks using jets, mortars, and rockets. Soledar’s downfall, […]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3031,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":""},"categories":[26,276,2480,2482],"tags":[76,77,132,154,170],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/ukri.webp","amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3034"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3034"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3034\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3038,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3034\/revisions\/3038"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3031"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3034"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3034"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3034"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}