The Russian occupiers organized an information operation about the alleged capture and encirclement of Soledar.
This was reported by the spokesman of the Eastern Group of Forces, Serhiy Cherevatyi, on the air of the national telethon.
According to him, the city is not under the control of Russia, fierce battles are taking place there, and the Armed Forces of Ukraine are steadfastly defending it. “The situation there is difficult, but it is under the control of the command,” Cherevatyi said.
He noted that the military is doing everything to stabilize the situation and inflict maximum losses on the enemy. “Soledar has no strategic importance, political reasons and the image of the Wagner PMC terrorists prevail here, who want to show their irreplaceability, that they can perform tasks better than the regular army of the Russian Federation,” the speaker said.
Yevgeniy Prigozhin, the founder of the Russian PMC Wagner, reported about the capture of Soledar the day before. He claimed that the city was “taken” by his subordinates — without the help of regular troops. The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation has already denied his statement and says that the fighting for the city is still ongoing. Soledar is allegedly blocked from the north and south by Russian paratroopers.