Russian mercenary firm claims strategic Ukrainian town of Soledar, control unclear

General view of railway lines, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, in Siversk, Ukraine, January 9, 2023. REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne

KYIV/NEAR BAKHMUT, Ukraine (Reuters) -Ukraine's eastern salt mining town of Soledar hung in the balance as Russia's mercenary firm Wagner claimed control, but continued fighting and Kyiv's assertion earlier that its forces were holding out raised uncertainty.

Soledar has been the focus of intense fighting as Russia has viewed it as key to its campaign for the nearby strategic city of Bakhmut and Ukraine's larger eastern Donbas region. Reuters was not able to verify conditions on the ground.