Soledar

Day 443 of the invasion of Ukraine. Summary of key events in the last 24 hours:

He claims that Russia has prepared thousands of soldiers and could "try" to mark the anniversary of the launch of the war, the BBC reports.
The new offensive on that day would also mark the Russian holiday of defenders of the fatherland, February 23, which is dedicated to the Russian army. Reznikov said Moscow had mobilized about 500,000 troops for a potential offensive.

Olena Morozova had endured months of bombardment in what has become the most gruelling battle of the war in Ukraine for the city of Bakhmut, but on Thursday, she said she had finally had enough.

Ukrainian forces have withdrawn from the eastern city of Soledar in the Donetsk region, military spokesman Serhiy Cherevaty was quoted as saying by Ukrainian state television on Wednesday.

"(Our forces) fulfilled their main task: to prevent the enemy from making systematic breakthroughs in the Donetsk direction," Cherevatiy said, quoted by TASS.

As of Monday evening, the Ukrainian military may have already withdrawn from Soledar, which as a result is controlled by the Russian military and the private military company Wagner.

This is according to today's military intelligence briefing, after Russia announced on Friday that it was in control of the Donbas city.

Russia said on Jan. 13 its forces had wrested control of the war-scarred town of Soledar in east Ukraine, its first claim of victory in months of battlefield setbacks, but Ukraine said fierce fighting was still under way.

Russia has declared victory in the eastern Ukrainian city of Soledar in the Donetsk region.

The Russian Ministry of Defense said this would allow the Ukrainian army's supply routes to the nearby town of Bakhmut, a major railway hub in the area, to be cut.

Here are the highlights of events related to the war in Ukraine over the past 24 hours:

Zelensky expects more weapons from the allies, heavy fighting for Soledar

Ukraine says its troops are holding their ground in the eastern town of Soledar, where heavy fighting is taking place. President Volodymyr Zelensky stressed the need for more weapons from the allies.

President Volodymyr Zelensky has vowed that Ukrainian forces defending Bakhmut and Soledar in the east will be armed with everything they need to keep Russian troops at bay in some of the bloodiest battles of the war.

Here are the highlights of events related to the war in Ukraine over the past 24 hours:

London: Russia uses paratroopers as rapid reaction units in Ukraine

Russian commanders in southern and eastern Ukraine are using airborne forces as "elite rapid reaction units", according to a British Ministry of Defense briefing.