'Fighting is ongoing': Ukraine denies that Russia has captured salt mine town Soledar

There have repeatedly been conflicting reports over who controls the town of Soledar, ITV News Correspondent John Ray reports

Ukraine has denied that Russia has captured a fiercely contested salt mining town in the Donetsk region, insisting the fight for its control is not over.

The Kremlin said its forces have now taken Soledar, in what would mark a rare victory for Russia after a series of setbacks in its invasion.

There have repeatedly been conflicting reports over who controls the town, the site of a prolonged bloody battle in the fight for Ukraine's eastern regions.

A spokesman for Russia's Defence Ministry said it had liberated Soledar on Thursday evening, adding the development was "important for the continuation of offensive operations in the Donetsk region".

Taking control of the town would allow Russian forces "to cut supply lines for the Ukrainian forces" in Bakhmut - the scene of some of the most intense combat since the invasion began last February - the spokesman said.

He added that Russian forces could then "block and encircle the Ukrainian units there".

But Serhii Cherevaty, a spokesman for the Ukrainian army in the east, denied the Russian Defence Ministry’s claim, in remarks carried by the RBK Ukraine news outlet, saying that "fighting is ongoing in the city".

The Institute for the Study of War, a US think-tank, observed the fall of Soledar would not mark "an operationally significant development and is unlikely to presage an imminent Russian encirclement of Bakhmut".

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According to the institute, Russian information operations have "overexaggerated the importance of Soledar", arguing that the long and difficult battle has contributed to the exhaustion of Russian forces.

Just hours before Russia’s claim, Ukraine reported that there had been a heavy night of fighting, but did not acknowledge loss of the town.

In a Telegram post, Ukraine’s deputy defence minister, Hanna Maliar, said that Moscow "had sent almost all [its] main forces" to secure a victory in the east. She said that Ukrainian fighters "are bravely trying to hold the defence".

"This is a difficult stage of the war, but we will win. There is no doubt," Ms Maliar added.