Ukrainian official says ‘fighting in Solendar continues’
Moscow reports that the Solentartheater of bloody battles between Russians and Ukrainians, was “liberated” on Thursday night, Kyiv hastened to deny.
Moscow’s claims that its forces have captured the city of Solentar in eastern Ukraine are “not true,” a Ukrainian official said.
Serhii Tserevaty, a spokesman for the Eastern Group of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, told the Ukrainian network RBC-Ukraine that “the news does not correspond to the truth” and that “the fighting in the city continues.”
Colonel Serhiy Cherevaty, spokesperson for the #Ukrainian Eastern Defense Forces, told @HromadskeUA in a commentary that the information about the capture of #Soledar does not correspond to reality, the battles continue.
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) January 13, 2023
The Russian Defense Ministry announced earlier on Friday that Russian forces had captured the city, which would represent a symbolic, if not strategic, victory for Moscow. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov praised their “selfless and courageous action” that allows the Russian armed forces to advance further.
The capture of Soledar would allow Russian forces, and especially the Wagner mercenary group, to turn their attention to nearby Bakhmut, which has been a target since the summer.
“On the evening of January 12th the liberation of Soledar has been completed, which is important for the continuation of successful offensive operations,” the Russian Ministry of Defense announced, among other things.
Full control of Soledar makes it possible to cut off the supply of Ukrainian troops in the city of Bahamutministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov claimed at a press conference in Moscow.
Moscow says Russian forces have managed to seize strategic heights and blockade the city from the north and south.
Konashenkov praised the role of the air force and artillery in the capture of the region, saying they had dealt a blow to the Ukrainian army, blocking the transfer of reserves, the supply of ammunition and efforts to withdraw troops to other lines of defense.
“Only in the last three days, the losses of the Ukrainian troops in the Solendar region exceeded 700 people, more than 300 weapons were destroyed,” it was also reported.
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