Does the battle for Soledar mark a new phase in the Ukraine war?

 

Ukraine has refuted Russian claims its forces have captured the eastern town of Soledar.

Whatever the truth, fighting has been intense around what is Europe’s largest salt mine in eastern Ukraine’s Soledar.

Nearly all 11,000 inhabitants of the small town have left and almost everything above ground is destroyed.

War in Ukraine: Soledar's fate unclear amid heavy fighting | DW News

 

The Russian Wagner Group claims to have taken the gateway town of Soledar. Kyiv denies the capture. Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar wrote on Telegram that "heavy fighting to defend Soledar continues."

Soledar: Video shows fighting and tank fire in pounded Ukraine salt mine town

 

Video shows fighting and tank fire in Soledar, a salt mine town that Russian is close to capturing.

Reuters news agency has verified the location of this footage but the BBC has been unable to confirm the date that these videos were filmed.