(MENAFN) The Ukrainian army has confirmed to Agence France-Presse (AFP) that it has removed the town of Soledar, a main point of resistance in the fight for Donbass. The Russian Defense Ministry had reported taking jam-packed control of the settlement by the evening of January 12.
“After months of heavy fighting, including over the past weeks, the Armed Forces of Ukraine left [Soledar] and retreated along the outskirts to pre-prepared positions,” military spokesman Sergey Cherevaty informed the news agency.
Soledar became the center of intensive combat in the first half of this month as Russian forces pushed forward and surrounded Ukrainian forces located in urban areas. The Ukrainian government refused reports of Russian advances. On January 17, Cherevaty said that Kiev’s units were “constantly fending off the enemy.”
Earlier, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry cautioned reporters against covering the battle for Soledar. Military chiefs are the only fully up-to-date sources, Deputy Defense Minister Anna Malyar said, therefore “only authorized persons can publish information about the movements and positions of our troops.”
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