Russia’s fresh offensive in Ukraine: Russia appoints a new commander

The Russian private military company Wagner Group announced that it had successfully taken control of the salt mining town of Soledar in eastern Ukraine, and Moscow also nominated a new commander for its invasion of that country.

Following the deaths of some 500 pro-Ukrainian soldiers, the commander of Wagner’s forces said that Soledar had been fully “liberated.”

Ukrainian President Zelenskiy criticized Russian claims to have taken over parts of Soledar in a video address that was broadcast prior to the statement, claiming that battle was still ongoing.

The vital town’s capture would represent Moscow’s biggest victory since a string of losses that lasted for a large portion of the second half of 2022.

Airborne soldiers, according to Russia’s defense ministry, have closed off Soledar from both the north and the south. Meanwhile, the Wagner contract militia released images of its commander, Yevgeny Prigozhin, leading men into what look to be Soledar’s mines.