MOSCOW, January 20. /TASS/. The Armed Forces of Ukraine have obliterated all infrastructure facilities in Soledar and Podgornoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) during the battles with Russian forces, Shakhtyorsk city administration head Alexander Shatov said on Friday.

"The people who were evacuated from these cities with the assistance of our troops say that actually these localities have been razed to the ground. Unfortunately, when retreating, Ukrainian forces are laying all infrastructure facilities and residential buildings to waste, trying to cause as much damage as possible," he told the Rossiya-24 TV channel.

According to Shatov, the Shakhtyorsk authorities, whose zone of responsibility temporarily includes Soledar and Podgornoye, cannot visit the cities at this point for security concerns. He noted that the Shakhtyorsk administration was working with the military to evacuate Soledar and Podgornoye residents via the city of Pervomaisk in the Lugansk People’s Republic. "There is a complete understanding [with the Pervomaisk authorities]. We also maintain contact with the troops who are evacuating our people from Soledar. Some are also leaving Artyomovsk (called Bakhmut in Ukraine - TASS) and we maintain contact with them, too. As soon as our administration officials get a chance to visit these cities, the military will immediately facilitate a trip for us and we will start working in those cities. So far, we are only working with the evacuees," he emphasized.

Russian Defense Ministry Spokesman Lieutenant General Igor Konashenkov said earlier that Russian forces had completed their operation to liberate Soledar from Ukrainian occupation late on January 12. The ministry announced the liberation of Podgornoye on January 11.