Ukraine: plumes of smoke over Soledar as intense fighting continues
Guardian, 11 Jan 2023
The Russian mercenary group Wagner has said it is fighting 'heavy, bloody battles' for control of the town of Soledar in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region. The claims appear to be confirmed by the UK's Ministry of Defence, which has suggested that most of the town is under Russian control after days of a 'tactical advance'. The small town is about six miles north of the key city of Bakhmut. Ukrainian and Russian troops are fighting for Soledar's salt mine, offering tunnels that can accommodate troops and armoured vehicles. Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelenskiy has since thanked soldiers who are withstanding 'the new and even tougher assaults of the invaders'
Russia’s Wagner group fighting ‘heavy, bloody battles’ for control of Soledar
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