Ukraine war: Savage fighting in Soledar, Ukraine 'de facto' NATO member, Africa urged to condemn war

The fate of Soledar remains unknown on Friday, amid savage fighting between Ukrainian and Russian troops. 

Moscow claimed its forces had seized the besieged eastern Ukrainian town, though this announcement was immediately rejected by Kyiv. 

If true, the development would mark a rare victory for Russia, following months of damaging setbacks on the battlefield. 

Soledar, a small salt mining town in the Donetsk region, has been the site of a fierce battle in recent months, with Russia pilling in mercenaries from the notorious Wagner Group.

Moscow has portrayed the grinding fight as key to seizing the strategic town of Bakhmut and the wider Donbas. 

"The liberation of the town of Soledar was completed in the evening of 12 January" said Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov. 

He added that the development was "important for the continuation of offensive operations in the Donetsk region."

Taking control of the town would allow Russian forces "to cut supply lines for the Ukrainian forces” in Bakhmut and then “block and encircle the Ukrainian units there,” Konashenkov said.

His statement was soon rebuffed by the Ukrainians, with a spokesperson for the country's armed forces maintaining that "heavy fighting" was still ongoing. 

Since launching its invasion in February last year, Moscow has prioritised taking full control of the Donbas, a prized industrial region made up of the Donetsk and Luhansk provinces. 

Russia has already seized most of Luhansk, but about half of Donetsk remains under Ukraine’s control.

Conflicting reports surround who currently controls Soledar, where the bloody battle has raged for months. 

Euronews cannot independently confirm either side's claim.

The Institute for the Study of War, a US-based think