Moscow named a new commander for its invasion of Ukraine while Russian private military firm Wagner Group said its capture of the salt mining town Soledar in eastern Ukraine was complete, though the Ukrainian military said the battle was not over
However, Zhdanov told Ukrainian television that if Russian forces seized Soledar or nearby Bakhmut it would be more a political victory than military."The Russians, if they take one of these towns, will try to put the event on par with capturing Berlin and they will use it for propaganda purposes as much for the outside market as for domestic consumption," he said.
One prominent military blogger who posts on the Telegram messaging app under the name of Rybar said Surovikin was being made the fall guy for recent Russian military debacles. Those included a Ukrainian attack on a Russian barracks that killed at least 89 Russian soldiers over New Year's. Before Wagner's latest statement, the Kremlin stopped short of claiming victory and acknowledged heavy casualties.
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Live blog: Ukraine's Soledar town falls to Wagner group — Russian mediaRussia's mercenary group Wagner says it has seized control of eastern Ukrainian mining town of Soledar, reporting 'urban fighting' in city centre, as conflict enters its 321st day Follow our live coverage👇
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Russian force claims control of Soledar as east Ukraine battle hots upRussian mercenary group Wagner claimed to have taken control of the salt-mining town of Soledar in eastern Ukraine - a stepping stone in Moscow's push to capture the entire Donbas region - but fighting appeared to be continuing.
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Russian mercenaries close in on Soledar, a strategic mining town in eastern UkraineKYIV — Soledar was a relatively unremarkable city in the eastern region of Donetsk before the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The name literally translates as 'gift of salt,' owing to its home to enormous salt mines, the largest in Europe. Now those mines serve as defensive positions for Ukraine's embattled military. Should the city fall to Russian forces, which consist almost exclusively of mercenaries from the infamous Wagner Group, Russian forces would be able to increase pressure on the Ukrainian fortress city of Bakhmut, a strategic hub that has been under a relentless Russian siege since the beginning of August.
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Russian mercenaries close in on Soledar, a mining town in eastern UkraineSoledar was a relatively unremarkable city in the eastern region of Donetsk before the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The name literally translates as “gift of salt,” owing to its home to enormous salt mines, the largest in Europe. Now those mines serve as defensive positions for Ukraine’s embattled military. Should the city fall to Russian forces, which consist almost exclusively of mercenaries from the infamous Wagner Group, Russian forces would be able to increase pressure on the Ukrainian fortress city of Bakhmut, a strategic hub that has been under a relentless Russian siege since the beginning of August.
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Russian mercenary firm claims strategic Ukrainian town of Soledar, control unclearUkraine's eastern salt mining town of Soledar hung in the balance as Russia's mercenary firm Wagner claimed control, but continued fighting and Kyiv's assertion earlier that its forces were holding out raised uncertainty.
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