^ abKarolina Hird; Kateryna Stepanenko; Katherine Lawlor; Layne Philipson; Frederick W. Kagan (26 July 2022). "Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, July 26". understandingwar.org. ISW. Retrieved 17 August 2022. Geolocated footage posted by a Russian soldier walking freely along a very damaged segment of the T1302 Bakhmut-Lysychansk highway in Berestove (25 km northeast of Bakhmut) shows that Russian forces took control of Berestove on July 25. The footage shows that Berestove has been essentially leveled by Russian artillery and is completely abandoned, which suggests that Ukrainian troops may have conducted a controlled withdrawal from the area. Russian forces will likely leverage this position to move southwest along the T1302 towards Soledar and attempt to assault Bakhmut from the Berestove-Soledar line. Russian forces are also fighting near Soledar itself.