The sound of gunfire crackles through the air.

Ukrainian and Russian troops engage at close quarters.

Although the Kremlin claims that it has captured Soledar, the fact that it is still holding it may be another matter.

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Although there are pockets of resistance, it seems almost certain that the entire town is under Russian control.

Ukrainian units are on standby for medivac troops

Armed vehicles speed along the roads to tend to the injured.

We find abandoned animals and houses as we move closer to the town’s entrance through small towns.

Both sides suffered serious injuries from the constant barrages artillery.

This area has seen very few people and the bombs began to fall again as we passed homes that were destroyed.

Before a ground shaking impact, the sound of shells screeching overhead.

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Soledar is “a kind of hell”

Culture of silence: ordinary Russians warn of being pawns of propaganda war

The war that decimated communities has forced millions of people to flee their homes. It’s difficult to imagine how they will ever return to their homes. And even if they could, what would it look like?

Soldiers are further back than the frontline and wait for their orders.

While Soledar may be gone, Vadym, a Ukrainian soldier, tells me that Russia has lost a lot of men.

“They have suffered a lot of losses, they are attacking in waves and walking over dead bodies.

The Wagner mercenary team was almost completely responsible for the fighting.

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They were ruthless in their attack, but it is difficult to know what they have achieved.

Although this victory will mark the beginning of a long series of military setbacks, it is unlikely that the outcome of the conflict will change as Ukraine has strengthened its positions.

New trenches are being dug in the fields of sunflowers that have died.

This war of attrition seems to never end and it is brutal.