KYIV — After months of fighting, Russia's Defense Ministry says its forces captured the eastern Ukrainian town of Soledar — a claim that Ukrainian military officials denied and that prompted bitter infighting with a pro-Kremlin mercenary group involved in the offensive.
If taken, the salt-mining town would be a rare recent military victory for Russia in the war in Ukraine, now in its 11 month.
In a press briefing, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said Russian forces had "liberated" Soledar overnight — and insisted the victory carried "important significance" for Russia's push to capture the wider Donetsk region.
