Ukraine Conflict: Kyiv Claims Battle for Soledar is Ongoing; Mercenary Group Reports Discovery of Missing British Citizen's Remains

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has once again rejected Russia's claims that it has encircled and captured the salt-mining town of Soledar in Donetsk. President Zelenskyy says that fighting continues to hold the town.
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"The fighting continues in the Donetsk direction, and we are doing everything we can to strengthen Ukrainian defense," he said in his nightly address.

On Wednesday, there were conflicting reports about whether Russian and Wagner Group forces had seized control of the town. This followed a claim by Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner Group, that his forces had captured the town on Tuesday.
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The Kremlin said Wednesday that reporters should await a statement from the Ministry of Defense on the status of Soledar. Later, the ministry said its own elite airborne units had surrounded Soledar from the north and south and that "assault squads" were fighting in the town center.
The update from the Russian Ministry of Defense was seen by analysts as an attempt by the Russian military to assert its authority over the Wagner Group leader. This comes after the military has been criticized by Prigozhin.
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President Vladimir Putin's military reshuffle on Wednesday, in which he put loyalist Gen. Valery Gerasimov in charge of troops fighting in Ukraine and replacing Gen. Sergei Surovikin, has been seen as part of a power struggle between the Russian military and Prigozhin's Wagner Group.
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The Kremlin's press spokesman said that Britain has not requested any help from Moscow following the disappearance of two Britons near the zone of intense fighting in Donetsk in eastern Ukraine. He added that the Kremlin is ready to provide any assistance that may be required.
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Chris Parry and Andrew Bagshaw, two men who were volunteering their time to help people evacuate the country, were last seen traveling toward Soledar. This town has been the epicenter of fierce fighting between Russia and Ukraine this week, and it is believed that around 500 civilians are still in the town despite the intense battles.
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Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov was asked by reporters to comment on a claim by the head of Russia’s Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, that the body of one of the two missing Britons had been found. Prigozhin’s press service did not say which of the men it had found, or provide any evidence to support Prigozhin’s claim, but posted images of their passports on Telegram, claiming the documents had been found on the body. Peskov said that the Kremlin was not in a position to confirm the claim, and that they were still awaiting official confirmation from the British authorities.
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Peskov claimed the men were "militants", without providing evidence. The Britons' families say the men were aid workers. However, there is no clear evidence to support either claim.
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"We are not aware of any information on this. All we know, from media reports, is that we are talking about British citizens who were militants and participated in hostilities with weapons. It seems that their documents were found on the battlefield. But we don’t have any details."
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Peskov said that fighting continues in the area and that it can be difficult to get information quickly. He added that Britain had not asked Moscow for help.
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Peskov said that Moscow would be willing to help if requested, but that it would depend on what kind of help was needed. He added that all requests would be considered.
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"It depends on what the British side can formulate. But I'm not aware of any contacts. I don't know, maybe there were some contacts through the Foreign Ministry. I'm not aware of this."
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Malyar said on Thursday that Russia is building up its forces in Ukraine, but Ukrainian forces are holding out in fierce fighting for the eastern town of Soledar.
She said that the number of Russian military units in Ukraine had increased to 280 from 250 the week before, as Moscow was trying to gain the "strategic initiative."
Malyar stated that the fighting in the Soledar direction is fierce. He said that the Russians are moving over their own corpses.
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"Russia is driving its own people to the slaughter by the thousands, but we are holding on," she said. "We are fighting for our lives and our freedom, and we will not give up."
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Brigadier General Oleksiy Gromov told a briefing that the military situation in Ukraine remains "difficult," with the heaviest fighting on the eastern front. The Russian forces were attempting to break through the Ukrainian lines and surround the Ukrainian troops, he said.
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Gromov also said that the danger of an attack being launched from Belarus, a Russian ally located north of Ukraine, would remain present throughout the year.
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According to the regional governor, Russian troops struck the southern region of Kherson 90 times on Wednesday, killing one civilian and injuring five others.
According to the data from the Kherson Regional Military Administration, Russian forces shelled the region's territory 90 times on Wednesday. Kherson Regional Military Administration head Yaroslav Yanushevych said in an update on the situation that the shelling caused significant damage.
Artillery, multiple launch rocket systems, mortars, and tanks were used in the attacks, the official said.
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Kherson city was shelled 27 times by Russian forces, according to Yanushevych. He said that the attacks targeted residential quarters, and that a maternity hospital, private homes, and apartment buildings were hit by shells. The information in the report could not be verified by CNBC.
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Satellite images collected by Maxar Technologies show the destruction of the eastern Ukrainian towns of Soledar and Bakhmut in Donetsk, where fighting between Ukrainian and Russian forces has been going on for months.
Maxar's new high-resolution satellite imagery, collected between Jan. 3-10, helps to convey the magnitude and intensity of the ongoing fighting in the area around both towns. Both Russia and Ukraine claim to have killed hundreds of each other's troops on a daily basis.
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The satellite imagery released by Maxar reveals the devastating aftermath of the bombing campaign in and around the two towns. Thousands of bomb craters can be seen in fields and along roads, and many homes, schools and farm buildings have been destroyed. This is a tragic reminder of the human cost of war.
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The image above shows the destruction caused by the fighting in Bakhmutske. The one below shows the craters left behind by the artillery exchanges.
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A Maxar satellite image has captured the destruction of the Pokrovske School to the east of Bakhmut. The school appears to have been completely destroyed, with only a few rubble remaining.
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This is what farm buildings in Yakovlivka, south of Bakhmut, looked like before fighting in eastern Ukraine became intense in August 2014.
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The farm buildings in the images below were taken in early January 2023. As you can see, they look quite different from the ones in the previous set of images.
Russia's redeployment of its elite airborne forces, the VDV, to the Donbas region of Ukraine signals that military commanders are trying to use them as an "elite rapid reaction force," according to Britain's Ministry of Defense. This move indicates that Russia is preparing to escalate its involvement in the conflict in Ukraine.
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The ministry has observed that, over the past few days, there has been intense fighting in and around the town of Soledar in the Donetsk region, as well as on the approaches to Kremina in the neighboring Luhansk region.
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The Russian Ministry of Defense has released new intelligence indicating that the country has deployed additional forces to the Kremina front line. According to the ministry, this move was made in response to increased vulnerability in the sector.
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"Until November 2022, Russia committed almost the whole of the deployable VDV as long-term, ground-holding troops along the front line in the Kherson area," the report said.
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Now that they have been redeployed to the Donbas and southern Ukraine, commanders are likely trying to use the VDV more in line with their supposed role as a relatively elite rapid reaction force.
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Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has once again rejected Russia's claims that it has encircled and captured the salt-mining town of Soledar in Donetsk. President Zelenskyy says that fighting continues for the town in eastern Ukraine.
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"Now the terrorist state of Ukraine is trying to pretend that the city of Soledar, which was almost completely destroyed by Russian occupiers, is somehow a Russian achievement," Zelenskyy said in his nightly address Wednesday.
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"But the fighting continues. The Donetsk direction is holding out. And we do everything we can, without stopping for a single day, to strengthen Ukrainian defense," he said.
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On Wednesday, there were conflicting reports about whether Russian and Wagner Group forces had seized control of the town. This followed a claim by Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner Group, that his forces had captured the town on Tuesday.
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The Kremlin said Wednesday that reporters should await a statement from the Ministry of Defense on the status of Soledar.
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The Russian Ministry of Defense later said that its elite airborne units, the VDV, had surrounded Soledar from the north and south, but that "assault squads" were fighting in the town center. Some saw this update as a bid by the Russian military - which has been criticized by Prigozhin - to assert its authority and undermine the Wagner Group leader.
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President Vladimir Putin's military reshuffle on Wednesday, which saw loyalist Gen. Valery Gerasimov put in charge of troops fighting in Ukraine, has been seen as part of the power struggle between the military and Kremlin-linked businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin.Prigozhin, who is believed to control the private military contractor Wagner Group, has been a key figure in Russia's involvement in the conflict in Ukraine.The reshuffle appears to be a victory for the military over Prigozhin and his Wagner Group, which has been accused of carrying out clandestine operations in Ukraine.
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Vladimir Putin has put the overall head of the Russian military in direct command of the Ukraine war. This move is likely to cause some tension within Russia, as it suggests that Putin is taking the conflict in Ukraine very seriously.
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Valery Gerasimov will be directly responsible for executing the so-called "special operation" in Ukraine, Russia's Defense Ministry announced Wednesday. This is a significant development, as it suggests that the Russian military is taking a more active role in the conflict.
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Gerasimov served as chief of the General Staff, or head of Russia's armed forces. Pro-war elements in Russia widely blame Gerasimov for the military's poor performance in the war.
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The move to put him in charge is likely to be met with strong opposition from Russian ultra-nationalists and military bloggers, who have increasingly blamed Gerasimov for the poor execution of the war, according to an intelligence update from Britain's Ministry of Defense.
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Gerasimov has replaced General Sergei Surovikin, who only took operational command of the war three months ago.
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Surovikin has been praised by ultra-nationalists for his "more realistic" approach, the U.K. ministry said. He had previously led Russian forces in Syria and oversaw the bombardment of Aleppo.
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Surovikin will now report to Gerasimov. This change was announced by the Russian Ministry of Defense.
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The UK ministry has stated that Surovikin's authority and influence is likely to be greatly reduced as deputy commander in Ukraine.
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Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman U.S. Army Gen. Mark Milley will travel to Germany next week for a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group.
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The Ukraine Defense Contact group, a coalition of nearly 50 countries supporting Ukraine’s military needs, has met several times since it was formed in April. The group has been working to provide Ukraine with the resources it needs to defend itself against Russian aggression.
Ramstein Air Base will be hosting a discussion on Ukraine's desire for main battle tanks and modern fighter jets. This is in response to Russia's aggression towards Ukraine.
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Pentagon press secretary U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder announced that the department will continue to have conversations with international allies and partners about the capabilities it provides them. He said a variety of considerations will be taken into account.
Russia's top military officer has been put in charge of troops fighting in Ukraine, a move that appears to reflect the Kremlin's dissatisfaction with the current leadership and flaws in the military's performance.
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Russia's Defense Ministry has announced that General Valery Gerasimov has been appointed as the new commander of the unified group of forces in Ukraine. General Gerasimov is the chief of the General Staff of the Russian armed forces and has extensive experience in leading military operations. This appointment signals Russia's continued commitment to supporting the Ukrainian government in its efforts to maintain stability and security in the country.
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The previous commander, Gen. Sergei Surovikin, was demoted to become Gerasimov’s deputy along with two other generals. This move was seen as a way to shake up the military leadership and bring in new blood.
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The recent reshuffle of military leaders was formally ordered by Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, with the approval of Russian President Vladimir Putin. This signals that Putin still has trust in his top military leaders, despite the broad criticism they have faced for the troops’ performance in the conflict.
This recognition of flaws suggests that Putin is not happy with how the "special military operation" in Ukraine is going.
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The Defense Ministry has announced the appointment of Gerasimov in an effort to improve coordination between the various forces fighting in Ukraine.
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The Defense Ministry has announced that the expansion of the scale of operations being carried out by the special military forces will require a higher level of leadership and closer coordination between different branches of the military. In addition, the quality of supplies and the efficiency of directing groups of forces will need to be increased in order to meet the challenges of the expanded operations.
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The White House has not said whether the U.S. would provide Ukraine with main battle tanks.
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At a daily briefing, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters that President Joe Biden had reaffirmed U.S. support for Kyiv in its fight against Russian aggression. She added that Washington would continue to stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes.
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She declined to provide further details on the makeup of additional U.S. security assistance packages.
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Last week, the United States announced its largest package of military assistance to Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion began nearly a year ago.
The next military aid package from the United States will bring the total commitment to Ukraine's fight against Russian aggression to about $24.9 billion since the beginning of the Biden administration. This will be the 29th such tranche of aid from the United States.
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The U.S. is providing 50 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles to the aid package, which are armored tracked vehicles manufactured by U.S. defense firm BAE Systems. Bradleys are typically equipped with a rotating turret, mounted 25mm gun and TOW anti-tank missiles. The U.S. will also provide 500 TOW anti-tank missiles and 250,000 rounds of ammunition for use with the Bradleys.
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Alexander Novak, Russia's Deputy Prime Minister, has said that Russian oil producers have had no difficulties in securing export deals, despite Western sanctions and price caps. He made the comments during a televised online government meeting on Wednesday.
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Novak told a meeting led by President Vladimir Putin that the companies have been in constant contact and that the contract for February has been completed. He said that on the whole, the companies are not saying they have problems as of today.
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Russian oil production has remained strong in the face of sanctions and price caps imposed by Western countries. Despite these challenges, Russian oil production has continued to thrive. This resilience is a testament to the strength of the Russian oil industry.
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Last month, Putin signed a decree that banned the supply of crude oil and oil products from February 1 for five months to nations that abide by the cap.
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Novak said that the main problem for Russian oil was a high discount to international benchmarks, as well as rising freight costs.
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Ukraine is rejecting Russian claims that its forces have captured the Donetsk town of Soledar.
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Serhiy Cherevatyi, spokesperson for the eastern military command, told Ukrainian television Wednesday that the town of Soledar is not under the control of the Russian Federation. He said that heavy fighting is going on there now.
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Cherevatyi said that Russians had spread the false claim that they had captured Soledar, but assured that this was not the case.
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The situation in the city is difficult, but it is under the control of the state leadership of our armed forces. We are working on making management decisions that will allow us to stabilize the situation and cause maximum damage to the enemy with minimal losses from our side.

This morning, Ukraine's operational update said that Soledar was being shelled, while Reuters reported that from the outskirts of the town, plumes of smoke could be seen rising. They described the incoming artillery fire as "relentless."
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CNBC was unable to immediately verify Cherevatyi's claim. On Tuesday, the head of the Russian private military company, the Wagner Group, which has been fighting in the area around Soledar and Bakhmut for months, claimed that his fighters had taken "control of the entire territory of Soledar" while urban warfare was continuing.
If Russia captures Soledar, it will be a major victory as it seeks to advance further and capture nearby Bakhmut. Ultimately, Russia wants to take full control of Donetsk and the wider Donbas region.
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Putin has replaced his top general in Ukraine, but Kyiv remains defiant, saying Russia does not control the war-torn region of Soledar.