Russia’s defense ministry claimed on Friday that its forces had taken control of Soledar in eastern Ukraine, which would give Moscow its first major territorial gain after months of military setbacks. The Washington Post was unable to verify Russia’s claim of control of the salt mining town, which is a gateway to the disputed city of Bakhmut. Ukrainian officials have denied claims that Russian troops or the private forces of the Wagner Group took the city earlier this week.
Ukraine’s deputy defense minister said earlier that troops held their defense positions all night under a barrage that raised warnings for trapped civilians. Nearly 600 residents were left in Soledar trying to survive what another official called a “massacre.” Here’s the latest on the war and its ripple effects around the world.
4. From our correspondents
“Gerasimov, 67, an army general and deputy defense minister, has been chief of the general staff for more than a decade and is a Kremlin insider who played a key role in planning the war,” she writes.
