Possible Soledar’s capture by Russian troops doesn’t mean immediate Bakhmut encirclement - Institute for Study of War

This is stated in the ISW report.

Russian troops have not captured all of Soledar. There are several false statements that the town has fallen and that Bakhmut is under threat of imminent encirclement, analysts said.

Several Russian sources stated that on January 10, Wagner's PMC forces advanced west of Soledar. Yevgeny Prygozhin denied these statements, noting that Wagner's forces are still fighting against coordinated Ukrainian resistance.

As of January 10, ISW observed only visual evidence of Wagner's forces in the center of Soledar. However, experts say the reality of controlling territory in Soledar from block to block is unclear by the urban fighting dynamic nature.

"Even taking the most generous Russian claims at face value, the capture of Soledar would not portend an immediate encirclement of Bakhmut. Control of Soledar will not necessarily allow Russian forces to exert control over critical Ukrainian ground lines of communication (GLOCs) into Bakhmut," ISW stressed.

• On January 9, the Ukrainian Armed Forces repelled Russian attacks in Soledar, Bakhmut, Marinka and 10 other settlements.

• British intelligence believes that the Russian forces are trying to capture Soledar in the Donetsk region to surround Bakhmut located near this city.

• On January 10, Russia tried to attack Soledar from three sides, CEO of Defense Express military expert group Serhiy Zgurets said on Espreso TV channel.

• On the same day, the spokesman for the Eastern Group of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Serhiy Cherevaty said that the Russians fired 86 times at Soledar from artillery during the day.