Dubai, United Arab Emirates (CNN) – Ukraine denied, on Friday, what Russian forces announced that they had taken control of the Ukrainian city of Solidar, and confirmed that fighting was still going on in the city
The spokesman for the Eastern Group of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Serhiy Sherevaty, told the Ukrainian news agency RBC Ukraine that Russia's claim of control of Solidar is "incorrect," adding that "fighting continues in the city."
At the same time, the CNN team, which is located about 4 kilometers from the city of Solidar, monitored the continuation of shooting and shelling in the city. The CNN team also monitored the Ukrainian army's transfer of its forces in what appeared to be a somewhat orderly retreat, but without a sense of panic among the Ukrainian forces.
On Friday, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced the "liberation" of Solidar in eastern Ukraine, hours after the statements of the Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister, who said that the clashes were "intensely intense" in the city last night.
The Russian Ministry of Defense added that "imposing control over Solidar makes it possible to cut off the supply routes of Ukrainian forces in Bakhmut," while the ministry did not refer to Wagner's claim that the Russian private military company had exclusively "liberated" the town itself.
On Thursday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the Russian army had made "tremendous efforts" to regain control of the city of Solidar in eastern Ukraine, but "the main work remains ahead.