Russia declares capturing Soledar, Ukraine denies

The Russian Ministry of Defense reported the capture of Soledar.

Russian MoD's spokesman Igor Konashenkov said that in the evening of January 12, the Russian army "completed the liberation" of Soledar, Donetsk region.

The Russian ministry stressed that the capture "is important for further successful offensive actions."

Serhiy Cherevatyi, spokesman for the Eastern Group of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, commented on Moscow's statement for RBC-Ukraine.

"No, it is not true. The fighting is still going on in the town. I cannot provide more details," Cherevatyi said.

• On January 11, Colonel Serhiy Cherevatyi denied Russian claims that Soledar is under Russian control.
• NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that the battles of Ukrainian defenders for Bakhmut and Soledar, Donetsk region, show how important it is to strengthen military assistance to Ukraine.
• In the afternoon of the same day, Deputy Defense Minister of Ukraine Hanna Maliar reported that in the town of Soledar Russian troops are trying to break through the defense, heavy fighting continued.
• On January 12, Ukrainian troops eliminated more than 100 Russian soldiers near Soledar. And Serhiy Cherevatyi, spokesman for Eastern Group of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, said that battles were going on in the area of Soledar, Russian forces suffered maximum damage.
• In the evening report, the AFU General Staff emphasized: the most fierce fighting continues near Soledar, Paraskoviivka, Bakhmut and Klishchiivka. In the Bakhmut direction, 10 settlements of Donetsk region were hit by Russian fire.