Minutes after the speech of the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, who confirmed that the fighting continues in Ukrainian town SoledarToday, the head of the Russian private military company, Wagner, confirmed that his fighters had completely liberated the town of Solidar in eastern Ukraine, and killed about 500 pro-Kiev soldiers.
“The whole city is littered with the corpses of Ukrainian soldiers,” Yevgeny Prigozhin added in a statement.
Minutes after Zelensky’s speech
These statements came, minutes after Volodymyr Zelensky announced, on Wednesday, that the fighting continues in Solidar city located in eastern Ukraine Which the Russian Wagner Group had previously said it had taken control of, stressing that the Donetsk front was “steadfast”.
Zelensky said in his daily speech that Moscow and its propagandists are trying to claim that they have achieved some achievements in Solidar, but that “the fight continues.”
He also pointed out that the Donetsk front “is steadfast and we are doing everything we can to strengthen the Ukrainian defense without any interruption, not for one day.”
Ukrainian soldiers near Solidar (archives from AFP)
An announcement from Wagner.. and the Kremlin clarifies
The commander of the Russian Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, announced on Wednesday morning that his fighters had taken control of the city of Solidar in eastern Ukraine after intense battles this week, adding that “fighting in the street” continues.
It is not clear how much control the Wagner Group has over the city, and AFP was unable to verify the matter.
In turn, the Kremlin stressed the importance of not “rushing” in declaring victory in Solidar, hours after the Russian military group, Wagner, announced its control of the town in eastern Ukraine.
Solidar is located in the Donetsk region, about 15 kilometers from the city of Bakhmut, which had a pre-war population of 70,000 and is now a center of fighting.