“The capture of Soledar was made possible by the continuous bombardment of the enemy by military aviation, missile forces and artillery of a group of Russian forces,” Moscow’s Defense Ministry said.
Seizing the city would make it possible to cut off Ukrainian supply routes to the larger city of Bakhmut, and trap the remaining Ukrainian forces there. Moscow has been trying to capture Bakhmut for months.
But Serhiy Cherevtyi, a spokesman for Ukraine’s Eastern Military Command, told Reuters by telephone that Soledor had not been captured: “Our units are there, the town is not under Russian control.”
CNN said on its website that a reporting team just outside the city heard mortar and rocket fire on Friday afternoon and saw Ukrainian forces moving troops in what appeared to be an organized pullback.
‘meat grinder’
A Ukrainian official in the area, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media, also told Reuters by telephone that the Russians had not fully taken the city.
“Last night the artillery fire was like hell from both sides. I know that our boys have managed to get out of some parts (of Soledar) in an orderly manner and now the (assault) groups are counterattacking, but we still hold the city.”
Ukrainian officials said on Thursday that more than 500 civilians, including 15 children, were trapped inside Soledar.
