VLADIMIR Putin's Russian forces claim to have taken control of Ukrainian city Soledar in their first breakthrough in six months, the Ministry of Defence claims.
The city has witnessed heavy fighting for days as Ukrainian forces desperately battled to keep control.
"The capture of Soledar was made possible by the constant bombardment of the enemy by assault and army aviation, missile forces and artillery of a grouping of Russian forces," the ministry said.
Yesterday a Russian-installed local politician has said: “At the moment, there are still some small pockets of resistance in Soledar."
It comes days after Putin sacked a top military commander, a clear sign of "acknowledgement that the campaign is falling short of Russia’s strategic goals", the UK's ministry claimed.
Read our Ukraine war blog below for the latest news…
Marsel Kandarov, 24, has been jailed for five years after refusing to join Putin’s brutal invasion, the Guardian reports.
Kandarov, was due to report for duty in May 2022, but refused to show, as he “didn’t want to take part” in Putin’s war.
Now, a Russian court in the city of Ufa found Kandarov guilty of evading military service.
According to Ukraine’s Armed Forces around 1,500 employees at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant have been denied passes to access the site.
The general staff of Ukraine’s armed forces has claimed this is because they refused to receive Russian passports.
A translation of the army’s statement on Facebook reads: “Russian occupying forces exert moral and physical pressure on the population of temporarily occupied and occupied territories.
“Thus, almost 1,500 employees of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, who refused to receive Russian passports and sign a contract with Rosatom, are deprived of passes and access to the enterprise.”
The Kremlin has claimed that Vladimir Putin is open to talks with Ukraine.
The Kremlin has stated that achieving its goals by political and diplomatic means is “preferable” however Ukraine’s relationship with NATO was preventing the possibility of talks.
As Russia ordered its top general to lead the invasion of Ukraine during the biggest shake-up of its military, now Wagner claims that it claimed Soledar.
Head of Russia’s private military firm Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, said that the Ukrainian mining town of Soledar has been captured with 500 Ukrainian soldiers killed in the process.
Prigozhin said: “I want to confirm the complete liberation and cleansing of the territory of Soledar from units of the Ukrainian army … Ukrainian units that did not want to surrender were destroyed.
“The whole city is littered with the corpses of Ukrainian soldiers.”
Putin’s warship armed with “unstoppable” hypersonic nuke missiles has staged chilling war games on its way to the UK.
Equipped with one of the world’s deadliest weapons, the Russian frigate Admiral Gorshkov, was deployed on “combat duty” last week.
The vessel which is equipped with 7,000mph Zircon nuke missiles with a 625-mile range, held exercises in the Norwegian Sea, as it sailed towards Britain.
Alarming footage shows the ship “repelling a simulated enemy’s air strikes” in stormy conditions.
The clip was released on Tuesday on Zvezda TV, owned by the Russian defence ministry.
The report said: “The purpose of the exercise was to test the operation of the air defence circuit, its systems, air and electronic lighting systems, anti-aircraft fire systems, tactical camouflage electronic warfare systems and air defence circuit control systems.
“The ship is ready to repel air attacks from different altitudes and directions.”
President Zelensky appeared in a video message at the Golden Globes on Wednesday night paying tribute to those supporting Ukraine.
He said: “There are still battles and tears ahead. But now I can tell you who was the best in the previous year – you in the free world.
“Those who united around the support for the free Ukrainian people in our common struggle for freedom and democracy.”
One of the two Brits who volunteered to aid in Ukraine has been found dead by Russian forces.
However, they cannot identify whether the body belongs to 28-year-old Chris Parry or Andre Bagshaw, 48.
Both aid workers were reported missing in eastern Ukraine which has been faced with heavy fighting.
Russia’s Wagner Group claimed: “Today the body of one of them was found. Documents for both Britons were discovered with him.”
Ukraine claims that more than 100 Russian soldiers have been killed near the city of Soledar.
Soledar has witnessed heavy fighting recently with Russia and Ukraine releasing conflicting claims about who has control.
In a post to the messaging app Telegram, Ukraine’s special operations forces said Russian troops were killed thanks to “soldiers, gunners and rocket launchers”.
The Russian mercenary group, Wagner, have claimed they had found a body of one of two British aid workers that went missing.
The foreign office said it was supporting the families of Andrew Bagshaw, 48, and Chris Parry, 28, however they have not confirmed the claim.
As Putin's brutal invasion continues, the European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen warned the west must not waver in its support for Ukraine.
“We need to keep increasing the pressure on Russia and we will continue, of course, our unwavering support for Ukraine,” she told a news conference.
This comes as intense fighting continues to rage in the Donetsk region, with the Kremlin claiming to have taken the town of Soledar.
President Zelensky continued his mission to garner international support for Ukraine today, as held talks with Albania's prime minister.
Taking to Twitter, Mr Zelensky said: "Had a phone call with Albanian PM Edi Rama.
"Congratulated on the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between our states, noted the opening of Albanian Embassy in Kyiv.
"Discussed the situation at the front, the importance of increasing security aid to Ukraine & support for our #PeaceFormula."
Had a phone call with 🇦🇱 PM @ediramaal. Congratulated on the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between our states, noted the opening of 🇦🇱 Embassy in Kyiv. Discussed the situation at the front, the importance of increasing security aid to 🇺🇦 & support for our #PeaceFormula
The Russian army has hailed the efforts of Wagner Group mercenaries that aided in taking over the town of Soledar.
“This combat mission was successfully implemented by the courageous and selfless actions of the volunteers of the Wagner assault squads,” the Russian defence ministry said in a statement.
This comes after Putin's brutal forces shelled the town a staggering 91 times in one day.
President Zelensky of Ukraine shared a powerful message today, declaring Russia must lose the way "in everything and everywhere."
He said: "Russisa must lose this war – in everything and everywhere.
"On land, in the sky, in the sea, in the energy sector, in the economy, in politics, and in the end – in the dock of the international tribunal."
🇺🇦 President of #Ukraine @ZelenskyyUa: Russism must lose this war – in everything and everywhere. On land, in the sky, in the sea, in the energy sector, in the economy, in politics, and in the end – in the dock of the international tribunal.https://t.co/aP1fKsMPO4 pic.twitter.com/HlZBFoUZEF
The Ministry of Defence has provided the latest Defence Intelligence update regarding the situation in Ukraine.
Take a look at the map below.
The illegal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine is continuing.
The map below is the latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine – 13 January 2023.
Find out more about the UK government's response: https://t.co/WtiQjG6ZrO
🇺🇦 #StandWithUkraine 🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/9pynGMYWjD
Finnish President Sauli Niinisto was quoted yesterday saying Finland could donate a small number of German-made Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, as long as other European nations did the same.
Finland would only be able to provide a small number of tanks as they are required to protect its border with Russia, the president told Finnish news agency STT.
Niinisto said: “If tanks would be sent, that is why Finland’s offering could not be very numerous.”
A highly trained surgeon in Ukraine has removed a live grenade from inside a soldier’s chest, Sky News reports.
According to Ukraine’s armed forces, the operation was successful.
Surgeon Andriy Verba operated on the soldier, who was later sent to rehabilitation to recover.
The Ukrainian armed forces did not specify when the surgery took place or how the grenade entered the soldier’s body.
Ukraine has been assisted in its war effort against the Russian invasion by the unlikeliest of furry little helpers: the local beaver population.
Think mud, burst riverbanks and flooded fields could be seen along Ukraine's border with Belarus on Thursday, massively reducing the likelihood of an expected Russian assault from across the border, as the terrain is impassable.
Spokesman of the Ukrainian military unit based there, Serhiy Khominskyi, said: “When they build their dams, normally people destroy them.
"But they didn’t this year because of the war, so now there is water everywhere.”
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said gas prices are now lower in the EU than they were before the Ruassian invasion of Ukraine.
She said: "We need to keep increasing the pressure on Russia and we will continue, of course, our unwavering support for Ukraine.
"Hard work has paid off. Gas prices are lower now than before Russia's invasion."
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) stated the UK intends to 'match or exceed' last years lethal aid funding for Ukraine in 2023.
MoD tweeted: "The UK was the first European nation to donate lethal aid to Ukraine and we are committed to match or exceed last year's funding in 2023.
"We have provided over 200 armoured vehicles to date. Meet the Husky, Mastiff, Wolfhound, Spartan and Stormer.
"#StandWithUkraine"
The UK was the first European nation to donate lethal aid to Ukraine and we are committed to match or exceed last year's funding in 2023.
We have provided over 200 armoured vehicles to date. Meet the Husky, Mastiff, Wolfhound, Spartan and Stormer.
#StandWithUkraine
Russian victory in Soledar or Bakhmut – a much larger city where Russian advances have so far been thwarted – would have little effect on the overall outcome of the war, a US official has claimed.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, US national security council spokesman John Kirby said: “Even if both Bakhmut and Soledar fall to the Russians, it’s not going to have a strategic impact on the war itself.
“And it certainly isn’t going to stop the Ukrainians or slow them down.”
Ukraine said over 500 people, including 15 children, are still trapped in Soledar.
Governor of Donestk, Pavlo Kyrylenko, told Ukrainian TV Soledar could not be entirely evacuated and 559 civilians remain in the town.
Ukraine denies Russia has taken control of the area.
Former intelligence officer, Philip Ingram has claimed that Wagner Group head Yevgeny Prigozhin is a “potential successor” of Vladimir Putin.
Speaking to Sky News he said: “He’s been – not replaced, but somebody has been put in above him, and that’s Gerasimov. Now, Gerasimov… is the equivalent of the chief of the defence staff in UK terms.
“He’s a big Putin ally, he’s been in a planning role – a major role since the planning of the Chechen Wars of 1999 and again instrumental in the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and this special military operation.
“Surovikin, who was the commander of all the operations in Ukraine, has been demoted to one of three of his deputies.
“But then there’s a wild card in all of this, and the wild card is Yevgeny Prigozhin, who is the head of the Wagner operation. It’s his troops that are involved in all the fighting that we’re hearing about around Bakhmut and Soledar.
“But he has got a direct link to Vladimir Putin. He should, strictly speaking, be working under the military chain of command but he seems to do his own thing.
“He’s taking over in so many different areas. He’s also reportedly a potential successor to Putin should that come in – and he’s been openly critical of both [defence minister] Sergei Shoigu and Gerasimov.”
Shock footage shows the mercenaries attempting to hunker for cover as Ukrainians use a drone to scout their positions.
Machine gun fire rains down upon them as they attempt to hide as they move through a rail yard.
Explosions then erupt as the unit is “wiped out” during the brutal battle.
Head of the office of the president of Ukraine, Andriy Yermak, denied Russian forces have taken control of Ukrainian salt-mining town Soledar.
He compared the situation to The battle of Verdun, the longest battle of the First World War, where there were a great many casualties.
Yermak said: "The situation is difficult, even very difficult. This is the battle of Verdun in the 21st century.
"The fighting has been going on for several months, but our fighters manage to hold their positions.
The Russians release criminals from prisons who die as soon as they reach the frontline.
"Their bodies are left in place, they are not even removed, there are many human losses on the Russian side, much more than ours. We clearly value the lives of our soldiers more.
But before us is a human mass that is constantly attacking, attacking, attacking. Soledar is a place of street battles, wherever one of the parties does not control the city.
"The Russians are there, but they do not control the city. The situation is complicated, but our goal is to liberate our territories, fully restore the territorial integrity of Ukraine."
Russian foreign ministry official Aleksey Polishchuk warned Belarus might enter the war in Ukraine if Kyiv invades either Belarus or Russia.
Moscow used Belarus as a staging ground to launch its invasion of Ukraine in February, and has deployed troops there for joint military drills.
Speaking with state-owned Russian news agency TASS, Polishchuk said: "From a legal point of view, the use of military force by the Kyiv regime or the invasion of the territory of Belarus or Russia by the armed forces of Ukraine are sufficient grounds for a collective response."
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