The Vostok operational command planned to use the forces of the 46th and 77th brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine for this.
After several companies of these formations withdrew from Soledar to neighboring Paraskovievka, it turned out that, in addition to a large number of dead and wounded, the brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine had almost completely lost their fire cover, including artillery of 155- and 152-mm caliber.
Ukrainian guns were destroyed during the attack on Soledar by Russian 300 mm Smerch systems and attack aircraft.
According to RT, the command promised fire support to the units of the 46th and 77th brigades from the forces of the 17th separate tank brigade and artillery, but they never provided it.
According to the data of radio intercepts, there were no company and battalion commanders in the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine abandoned to break through the encirclement.
The units advanced to Soledar on French VAB armored personnel carriers and British Wolfhound anti-mine armored personnel carriers, but were discovered and destroyed by the duty link of Russian Su-25 attack aircraft when adjusted from the ground by a reconnaissance group.
As a result, the Armed Forces of Ukraine lost about 200 people killed, while Kyiv, in order to underestimate the losses in Soledar, declared the dead soldiers "missing."
Earlier, RT reported that the losses of Ukrainian troops in the battles for Soledar could be 25 thousand people.