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Ukraine reported a fresh wave of attacks on key infrastructure facilities on Saturday, a day after Russia claimed to have captured the ravaged eastern town of Soledar following a long battle. Victory in Soledar would be a rare achievement for Moscow after an embarrassing series of military setbacks — although Kyiv insisted fighting was still ongoing in the city on Saturday. Ukrainian infrastructure once again came under fire on Saturday as winter deepened, officials said. "Today, the enemy fired at energy facilities again," energy company Ukrenergo said, adding that it was working on "eliminating the consequences" of the strikes. In...

Vladimir Putin has shown his rage at Russia's collapsing economy and failing war effort, as he publicly humiliated his deputy prime minister during an angry rant. The fuming dictator blasted Denis Manturov in a government video conference for failing to procure military and civilian planes. He accused him of "fooling around" after the politician, a deputy PM and Trade and Industry Minister, flew on holiday to Turkey over New Year. The Kremlin leader also shook up his high command once again, promoting a number of loyalist generals. A video of Putin's furious rant showed the president declaring: “There are no...

The battle for Soledar in eastern Ukraine continues to intensify, with Ukraine denying claims by the private Russian Vagner military group that it had taken control of the salt-mining town. Ukraine's Defense Ministry cited "colossal losses" by Russian forces trying to capture the town in a sustained offensive that the ministry described on January 11 as "maniacal" as the community's fate hangs in the balance. -snip- Yevgeny Prigozhin, said his forces had taken control of Soledar, which lies near another heavily contested city, Bakhmut, after Russian troops regrouped during an Orthodox Christmas pause last weekend. -snip- Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov...

The Russian Defense Ministry has demoted General Surovikin to deputy head of the united Russian troops in Ukraine & Valery Gerasimov is the new head. This occurs just after his near predecessor Lapin has been promoted.

Russia's defence ministry says its forces are taking part in the battle for Soledar, a town north of Bakhmut in east Ukraine which has been the focus of recent fighting. It comes after the head of Russia's notoriously brutal Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, claimed his fighters were in full control there and boasted that only his troops took part. Mr Prigozhin will most likely use any victory to bolster the reputation of Wagner as an effective fighting force in the eyes of President Putin. But the Russian defence ministry appeared to contradict the controversial oligarch's claims. Spokesman Igor Konashenkov...

The acting head of the Donetsk People's Republic, Denis Pushlin, said the republic's cities of Soledar and Artemovsk were about to be liberated MOSCOW, January 11./TASS/.The city of Soledar, the scene of intense fighting in the past few days, has been under the control by units of Russia's Wagner private military company, the company's Chief Yevgeny Prigozhin was quoted as saying by his press service on Tuesday night. "Units of the Wagner private military company have taken the entire territory of Soledar under their control. The city center has been surrounded, and urban warfare is underway. The number of captives...

American High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems being used in Ukraine are making an impact on the conflict there between Ukrainians fighting to preserve their national sovereignty and Russian forces who have illegally invaded that country. The M142 HIMARS system allows for the launching of multiple, precision-guided rockets. Already, the U.S. had provided eight of the systems to Ukraine and last week promised to send an additional four, for a total of 12 of the systems. During a background briefing today at the Pentagon, a senior military official said the Defense Department believes the HIMARS are having an indirect, but significant...