Initial Russian advances (3 August – 1 October 2022) On 3 August, the Ukrainian army announced that Russian forces had begun an offensive against the settlement of Soledar. Russian forces began shelling Soledar, Bakhmut, and surrounding villages to the south and east of the settlements. Pro-Russian media claimed that the renewed offensive had breached defense lines to the east and southeast, although these claims were denied by Ukrainian officials. Later that week, Russian and separatist forces had taken partial-to-full control of the
Knauf Gips Donbas gypsum factory southeast of the settlement center. On 10 August, Russian forces also advanced in the Bilokamyanskyi refractory plant. The separatists said they had entered Soledar proper on 11 August, but the Ukrainians did not confirm this. The fighting in Soledar was described in the media as "grueling" and typified by artillery duels between troops entrenched around strategic points, located near hedgerows and tree lines along swathes of farmland, all while civilians fled to underground shelters and basements to avoid bombardment. On 16 August, airstrikes and ground engagements continued around Soledar, and the
LPR separatists claimed to have controlled most of the settlement's industrial zone, but there was no evidence they had advanced beyond the gypsum factory. On 19 August, shelling and clashes between the Ukrainian defenders and elements of the LPR forces continued on the eastern outskirts of the settlement, as the
Ukrainian General Staff reported that Russian troops were attacking from the Stryapivka and
Volodymyrivka directions. The Ukrainian General Staff reported it repelled Russian assaults near Soledar on 27 August. Clashes near the gypsum plant continued by 31 August. On 8 September, Ukraine said it repelled another Russian assault in Soledar, while Russian sources claimed that Russian and
DPR forces had advanced into Soledar's residential areas and were clashing with Ukrainian defenders. On 10 September, Russian sources claimed that the Russians had captured several blocks of territory around the gypsum factory.
Frontline stalls (2 October – 27 December 2022) Repeated local Russian assaults on or near Soledar continued into October, with the Ukrainian General Staff reporting it repelled numerous assaults on Soledar throughout the month. On 19–20 October, Russian sources reported ongoing clashes in Soledar's industrial zone and that Russian troops had made minimal gains in the last five days. On 22–24 October, Russian sources reported the capture of an unspecified key street in the Soledar direction amid reports of ongoing house-to-house clashes in the area, particularly on Soledar's southeastern outskirts. The claims of Russian gains were not independently verified at the time. Clashes in the Soledar-
Bakhmut area reportedly intensified in early November, as
Wagner Group fighters attempted to break Ukrainian defense lines in the area, seeking to
encapsulate Bakhmut. The Ukrainians said they were repelling dozens of Russian attacks per day as the Soledar-Bakhmut-
Donetsk city front became the epicenter of fighting in Ukraine, according to Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister
Hanna Maliar. The Wagner forces were led by frontline officer
Anton Yelizarov, a paratrooper veteran who had "demonstrat[ed] competence across the shadow army's complete global portfolio". Clashes along the Soledar-Bakhmut front continued into December, with President
Volodymyr Zelenskyy referring to the fighting on 3 December as "the hottest, most painful. We do everything to help our boys in this direction." On 14–16 December, Russian sources claimed that Wagner fighters had concluded clearing operations in Yakovlivka, allowing for further assaults along Soledar's northeastern flank. The capture of Yakovlivka prompted Ukraine to deploy a reserve battalion to Soledar to reinforce the front line, according to an LPR military officer. By late December 2022, much of the fighting in the region centered around
Bakhmut, with Soledar, located 15 kilometers from Bakhmut, seen as a satellite stronghold protecting the city's northeastern flank and supply lines. Much of Soledar had been reduced to ruins amid continuous Russian shelling, air strikes, and minor ground assaults against Ukrainian resistance. Russian forces captured the village of
Bakhmutske, located along Soledar's southern flank, on 27 December.
Russian breakthrough and capture (27 December 2022 – 16 January 2023) Following the capture of Bakhmutske on 27 December, Russian forces, spearheaded by Wagner Group fighters, began storming Soledar from the south and east. In January 2023, the last 500 civilians, mostly elderly, began fleeing Soledar. Around this time, Russian top commander in Ukraine,
Valery Gerasimov, personally took charge of the operations against Soledar. On 5 January, the Russian Ministry of Defence claimed to have pushed Ukrainian forces back to the
Soledar Salt Mine. The Ukrainian General Staff claimed there were seventy-six artillery assaults on Soledar on 7 January alone, with the
46th Airmobile Brigade in charge of defending much of the settlement. On 9 January, Ukrainian Colonel Yuriy Yurchik was killed by artillery fire while defending Soledar. On 10 January, the British Ministry of Defence stated that Russia "likely" controlled almost all of Soledar, and the top Russian priority was control of the tunnels leading into the
Soledar Salt Mine. Between 10 and 13 January, the Russian defence ministry and
Wagner Group leader
Yevgeny Prigozhin repeatedly claimed Russian forces had fully captured Soledar, especially after securing portions of Soledar's center, however the Ukrainian defence ministry continued to deny Russian control of the settlement, stating that pockets of resistance still existed in the center, and that Ukraine still held on to the western portion of Soledar, including the Sil railway station. Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister
Hanna Maliar wrote that "battles continue [in Soledar]", and said Ukrainian fighters were "bravely trying to maintain the defence." Meanwhile, President Zelenskyy thanked the 46th and
77th Airmobile Brigades for their defense of the settlement. On 14 January, the ISW reported that Ukrainian elements still controlled some territory within Soledar's administrative borders, particularly a mine (known as mine #7) on the westernmost outskirts of the settlement, but no longer held positions within Soledar proper. The ISW could not confirm who controlled the Sil railway station at the time. Ukraine's
46th Airmobile Brigade said their troops were surrounded but were resisting Russian advance into Soledar's northwestern edge. On 16 January,
The Kyiv Independent reported that Russian troops had full control over the administrative territory of Soledar, citing a Ukrainian military source. Ukrainian drone unit commander
Robert "Madyar" Brovdi confirmed that Russia had captured Soledar's last industrial zone, located near mine #7. The Ukrainian government did not officially confirm the loss of Soledar until 25 January, when Ukrainian authorities stated their troops had retreated from the front line settlement. == Casualties and humanitarian impact ==