Russia Says It Took Soledar, Ukraine Denies Its Capture

Ukrainian army Grad multiple rocket launcher fires rockets at Russian positions in the frontline near Soledar, Donetsk region, Ukraine, on Jan. 11, 2023. Libkos/AP Photo

KYIV, Ukraine—Russia claimed Friday that its forces captured the fiercely contested salt-mining town of Soledar in eastern Ukraine. Ukrainian authorities said the fight for the town continued.

Since its invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, Moscow has prioritized taking full control of the Donbas—a region made up of the Donetsk and Luhansk provinces, where it has backed a separatist insurgency since 2014. Russia has seized most of Luhansk, but about half of Donetsk remains under Ukraine’s control.