Fate Of Ukraine's Soledar Unclear As Wagner Claims Control

The fate of Soledar in east Ukraine was unclear on Wednesday, with Russian mercenary group Wagner claiming to control the gateway town while the Kremlin cautioned against declaring victory prematurely

Kramatorsk, Ukraine, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Jan, 2023 ) :The fate of Soledar in east Ukraine was unclear on Wednesday, with Russian mercenary group Wagner claiming to control the gateway town while the Kremlin cautioned against declaring victory prematurely.

The Russian defence ministry poured cold water on Wagner's claims saying fighting in the war-battered salt mining city was ongoing and Kyiv denied any Russian takeover.

Both Moscow and Kyiv have said the battle for Soledar has been long and bloody, and its fall to Moscow's forces would mark Russia's first significant territorial gain in Ukraine in months.

The town in the eastern Donetsk region lies 15 kilometres (nine miles) from Bakhmut, a larger urban hub that Russia has been trying to seize for months.

The head of Wagner Yevgeny Prigozhin claimed in the early hours of Wednesday that his forces had "taken control of the whole territory of Soledar".

"Urban battles are being fought in the city centre," he added.