January 11: The heaviest fighting took place in the areas of Soledar and Bakhmut. Despite intense Russian military efforts, regrouping, and the involvement of Wagner Group mercenaries, Russian forces failed to gain full control of Soledar, despite Russian claims of the town's capture and the encirclement of Bakhmut. In Soledar, 523 civilians remained, including 15 children.

Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu appointed Valery Gerasimov as the chief commander of Russian forces in Ukraine, with the previous commander, Sergey Surovikin, becoming his deputy. The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) assessed that this decision signaled Russia's preparation for a protracted war, although achieving maximalist invasion objectives appeared unlikely. Ammunition shortages limited Russian offensive capabilities. Even if Soledar were captured, it was unlikely to accelerate the fall of Bakhmut. Fighting continued around Soledar, Svatove, and Kreminna, where Russia strengthened its front lines with elements of the 76th Guards Air Assault Division. Ukraine continued counterattacks near Kreminna and strikes on Russian logistical hubs in the south, forcing Russia to withdraw key assets.

January 14: Russian forces concentrated their attacks toward Bakhmut in an effort to capture the entire Donetsk region and launched a massive missile strike on Ukraine's energy infrastructure. A total of 57 missiles, including 41 cruise missiles, struck cities such as Kharkiv, Khmelnytskyi, Dnipro, Kyiv, Kryvyi Rih, Odesa, and Vinnytsia. In Dnipro, a Kh-22 missile hit a multi-story residential building, killing approximately 40 people and injuring 73, including 14 children. Thirty people were reported missing, and 400 were left homeless. Fragments of an intercepted missile once again landed in Moldova’s Brychany district.

The United Kingdom announced it would supply Ukraine with 14 Challenger 2 tanks and approximately 30 AS90 self-propelled guns. Ukrainian military intelligence assessed that Russia was preparing for a long-term war by transitioning its economy to a wartime footing. ISW highlighted that Yevgeny Prigozhin continued to leverage the Wagner Group's role in the battles for Soledar to strengthen his political position. Fighting persisted in the areas of Soledar, Bakhmut, and Avdiivka, as well as along the Svatove–Kreminna line. Russian forces fortified defensive positions on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River in the Kherson region, while Ukrainian partisan activities disrupted Russian logistics in rear areas.

January 15: Russian forces continued their offensives toward Bakhmut and Avdiivka, suffering significant personnel losses. In Kherson, Russian shelling struck a rehabilitation center for children with disabilities, injuring seven people, and residential areas, injuring one individual. Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger announced that the company would not be able to supply battle-ready Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine before 2024.

Illustrative photo. Generated by AI