Russia Says It Has Captured Ukraine’s Soledar, But Kyiv Claims to Be Still Fighting

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KYIV — Russia said on Friday that its forces had taken control of the town of Soledar in eastern Ukraine, in what would be a rare success for Moscow after months of battlefield reverses, but Kyiv said its troops were still fighting in the town.

Reuters could not verify the situation immediately in Soledar. This small salt mining community has been the target of Russian aggression for many days.

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Kyiv and the West have played down the town’s significance, saying Moscow sacrificed wave upon wave of soldiers and mercenaries in a pointless fight for a bombed-out wasteland, unlikely to affect the wider war except insofar as the huge losses have sapped manpower on both sides.

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The capture of the town is now of immense importance because it will, if confirmed by Moscow, award Moscow a trophy for the most bloody campaign of the war after major battlefield setbacks during the second half 2022.

“The capture of Soledar was made possible by the constant bombardment of the enemy by assault and army aviation, missile forces and artillery of a grouping of Russian forces,” Moscow’s defense ministry said.

It stated that seizing the town would allow Ukraine to block supply routes to Bakhmut, a larger city to the east, and to trap any remaining Ukrainian forces there. Moscow has been trying for Bakhmut’s capture for several months.

But Serhiy Cherevatyi, spokesperson for Ukraine’s eastern military command, told Reuters by telephone Soledar had not been captured: “Our units are there, the town is not under Russian control.”

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CNN stated on its website, that a reporter team located just outside of the town could hear mortar fire and rocket fire Friday afternoon. They also saw Ukrainian forces transporting troops in what appeared like an organized pullback.

‘MEAT GRINDER’

The area’s Ukrainian officer spoke under anonymity to explain that he was not authorized for media interviews.

“Last night artillery fire was like from hell, both sides. From what I know, our boys have managed to exit some parts (of Soledar) in an orderly manner and now (assault) groups are counterattacking, but we still hold the town.”

According to Ukrainian officials, more than 500 civilians including 15 children were reported trapped in Soledar on Thursday.

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Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Ukrainian President, thanked Soledar units he stated were his thanks in an overnight video address “holding their positions and inflicting significant losses on the enemy.” He did not give more details.

For the past two months, the frontlines have barely moved since Russia was humiliated by Ukrainian forces during the second half of 2022. The battles for Soledar and Bakhmut became what both sides called “a” during this time. “meat grinder” – a brutal war of attrition claiming the lives of thousands of soldiers.

Kyiv’s Western allies see it as a fight for marginal gains on a stretch of front where neither side can make a big breakthrough, a sideshow from battles further north and south, where Ukraine hopes to push through Russian lines.

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“Even if both Bakhmut and Soledar fall to the Russians, it’s not going to have a strategic impact on the war itself,” John Kirby, spokesperson U.S. National Security Council told reporters at White House “and it certainly isn’t going to stop the Ukrainians or slow them down.”

Russia’s victory at Soledar could be a boost for Yevgeny Privozhin, the ultra-nationalist leader of mercenaries. Yevgeny has been focusing his Wagner Group of fighters to hire on that fight, with convicts and prisoners recruited from prisons promising pardons. He has complained about how the regular military took credit for the Soledar victory without mentioning his fighters.

“They constantly try to steal victory from the Wagner PMC (private military company) and talk about the presence of other unknown people just to belittle Wagner’s merits,” He complained.

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NEW WEAPONS

Important pledges from Western countries have been made for Ukraine in the new year. They are seeking to arm Ukraine with mechanized combatants against Russian tanks.

Next week will see major new weapon announcements. U.S. Secretaryof Defense Lloyd Austin will host defense chiefs from other allies at an American airbase in Germany to meet with the contact group established to support Ukraine.

Last week, France (Germany), the United States and France pledged to send their armored fighting vehicle. Discussions this week have focused on the supply and upgrade of main battle tank, which is a key component for Kyiv.

Friday saw the joining of Poland and Finland in promising to send German-made Leopard tank to Ukraine. This was part of an apparently Western coalition that is being formed to supply them.

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Berlin must give permission. Although Berlin has been reluctant to grant it in the past, they have recently indicated their willingness to do so. A spokesperson for the German government said that Berlin had not received any formal request to allow the re-export of the tanks on Friday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin launched the invasion on Feb. 24, saying Kyiv’s ties with the West threatened Russia’s security, and Russia has since claimed to have annexed four Ukrainian provinces. Ukraine and its allies refer to it as an unprovoked invasion to seize territory. Kyiv claims it will fight until it regains all its land.

(Reporting from Reuters bureaus; writing and editing by Alex Richardson, Peter Graff, Philippa Fletcher