Russian Wagner Mercenaries Kill 500 Pro-Ukrainian Soldiers in Soledar

SOLDER – Wagner Group, mercenary group Russia said their forces had completely taken control of the mining town of Soledar in Ukraine east. They also claim to have killed around 500 pro-Ukrainian soldiers.

Wagner Group head Yevgeny Prigozhin announced his troops had taken control of all of Soledar but said fighting was still raging in the city centre.

Also read: Ukrainian Forces Besiege, Russian Mercenaries Seize Entire Soledar

On Wednesday, he made no mention of the continuing clashes.

“I want to confirm the full liberation and clearing of the Soledar area from units of the Ukrainian army… Ukrainian units that did not want to surrender were destroyed,” he said in a statement, as quoted ReutersThursday (12/1/2023).

“Wagner’s troops killed about 500 people. The whole city was strewn with the corpses of Ukrainian soldiers,” he said.

But minutes before Prigozhin’s remarks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed claims the Wagner Group controlled all of Soledar and said fighting was continuing.

Also read: Ukraine Rejects Claim Russian Mercenaries Take Entire Soledar

The Ukrainian military has also dismissed claims by the Wagner Group that it has seized the entire Soledar region in Donetsk. The fall of the region to the Moscow troops, if it does happen, will pave the way for the occupation of other areas of the Donbass.

“Soledar is, is and will be, [milik] the Ukrainian people,” the Ukrainian military strategic communications unit was quoted as saying AFP.

The unit said the images released by the Wagner Group, which Russian media say were taken in Soledar, had been taken elsewhere.

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