Vostok-SOS released a blog post last week describing how the area “has been under the control of the Ukrainian Armed Forces since the end of 2014.” However, it was not until 2018 that government officials from the district administration came to the town.

Conclusion

While the Ukrainian military and a number of major media outlets have pointed to Zolote-4 as a significant victory, it is difficult to corroborate this claim when assessing the open source data. Ukrainian civil activists have operated in this town for years, and judging from the account of Vostok-SOS, which has worked extensively in Zolote over the past few years, it is the Ukrainian government that is finally moving into the town after years of existing in limbo in the grey zone. That said, there were likely some legitimate advance from the Ukrainian military on the outskirts of Zolote-4, but the video showing the raising of the Ukrainian flag is a misrepresentation of the significance of these manuevers.

Though the“liberation” of Zolote-4 appears to be more of a public relations maneuver than a military one, there is still real danger for the civilians of living in the mining town. Russian-led forces of the LNR have launched artillery attacks at Zolote-4 and the surrounding area from Zolote-5 this week, damaging a number of residential areas.

Remnants after a shelling attack on Zolote-4. (Source: 62.ua)

Many Ukrainian activists and journalists have been harsh towards the Ukrainian government and military for their exaggerated claim of liberating Zolote-4; however, it is important to note that the regional government is looking to take a more active role in the long-neglected town in the grey zone. With further attention from the Ukrainian government and military, as noted by analyst Nikolaus von Twickel, progress can be made in opening up the nearby Zolote civilian crossing point, easing the burden on the tens of thousands of Ukrainians at the mercy of treacherously long lines.