Ukraine insists fight for mining town of Soledar not over after Russia claims capture

Russia claimed Friday its forces finally took the largely decimated salt mining town of Soledar in what would be the Kremlin’s first victory in months — but Kyiv insisted the fight for the town wasn’t over.

“The liberation of the town of Soledar was completed in the evening of Jan. 12,” said Lt. Gen. Igor Konashenkov, the Russian Defense Ministry’s spokesman, calling the development “important for the continuation of offensive operations in the Donetsk region.”

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