Ukraine Latest: Russia Recognizes Wagner’s Key Role in Soledar
A Ukrainian tank fires at Russian positions near Kreminna, Lugansk region, Ukraine, on Jan. 12.
Photographer: Anatolii Stepanov/AFP/Getty Images
This article is for subscribers only.
Russia’s defense ministry said its forces captured the salt-mining town of Soledar, northeast of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine after weeks of intense fighting, even as Kyiv said its troops were still engaged in a battle there. A CNN team in the area witnessed Ukrainian troops withdrawing in an organized pullback.
In a later statement, Russia’s ministry acknowledged the role of the Kremlin-affiliated Wagner mercenary group in capturing the town.