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Russian forces shelled the Ukrainian defense garrison near Siversk, a city north of Bakhmut in Donetsk Oblast, with artillery and mortars overnight on Feb. 3, the State Border Guard service reported.
Russian troops then tried to cross the defense line to conduct reconnaissance in the area, but Ukraine’s Armed Forces repelled them.
Russian forces appeared to be picking up pace in the northern part of Donetsk Oblast after capturing the salt-mining town of Soledar, which sits roughly 15 kilometers northeast of Bakhmut.
As the battle for Bakhmut intensifies, both sides have suffered heavy casualties in the months-long brutal trench warfare around the city.
With the loss of Soledar, Ukrainian positions in Bakhmut jeopardized
