Russia’s defense ministry said its forces captured the salt-mining town of Soledar, northeast of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine after weeks of intense fighting, even as Kyiv said its troops were still engaged in a battle there. It would be the first victory for Kremlin troops in months.
(Bloomberg) — Russia’s defense ministry said its forces captured the salt-mining town of Soledar, northeast of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine after weeks of intense fighting, even as Kyiv said its troops were still engaged in a battle there. It would be the first victory for Kremlin troops in months.
Analysts at the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War said Russian forces likely control most if not all of the settlement. The ISW report cited geolocated footage posted on Jan. 11 and 12 and said Russian forces have likely pushed Ukrainian forces out of its western outskirts.
Italy offered use of its logistics infrastructure, including the Adriatic Sea ports of Venice and Trieste, for Ukraine’s exports, Industry Minister Adolfo Urso said in an interview Friday. Urso had met with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and other Ukrainian officials in Kyiv on Thursday.
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Key Developments
- Ukraine Pushes Back on Russia’s Claim it Has Taken Soledar
- War Turns Sleepy Polish City Into World’s Gateway to Ukraine
- Russian Oil Turns to Russian Tankers as Sanctions Bite
- Putin Buys Off the Poor, Writes Off Middle Class With War Budget
- Germany Recession Fears Ease Despite Bodyblow From War
On the Ground
The Ukrainian army repelled Russian attacks near 17 settlements in Ukraine’s east, mostly in the Donetsk region, in the past 24-hour period, the General Staff said on Facebook. Russia carried out five missile strikes on residential areas in Kostyantynivka, Kramatorsk and Zaporizhzhia, 18 aviation strikes and 52 strikes from multiple launch rocket systems. Ukrainian troops hit Russian military strongholds 16 times, downed an Su-24 airplane and a drone.
(All times CET)
Russian Oil Turns to Russian Tankers as Sanctions Bite (12:48 P.M.)
Sweeping European sanctions on the purchase and transportation of Russian oil have prompted the country to transport more crude on its own tankers.
The EU banned almost all seaborne oil imports from Russia from Dec. 5, and joined with Group of Seven nations in capping the price at which Moscow can sell barrels. Since then, European-owned tankers have taken about 30% of the cargoes shipped from Russia’s key western oil ports, down from about half before. The share moving on Russian vessels has risen to 35%, up from 22% previously.
Finland Offers Helping Hand as Refugee Numbers Grow in Estonia (12 p.m.)
Finland will take up to 100 Ukrainian refugees from Estonia each week as the Baltic nation’s ability to provide essential services such as healthcare and education becomes stretched, according to Estonia’s interior ministry.
Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, 66,000 Ukrainian refugees have declared an intention to remain in Estonia as opposed to transiting on to other countries, one of the highest per capita figures in the European Union.
Ukraine Pushes Back on Russian Claim it Has Captured Soledar (11:52 a.m.)
Russia’s defense ministry said Russian forces captured the salt-mining town of Soledar in eastern Ukraine late on Thursday after intense fighting.
Forces from Russia’s private contractor Wagner have been at the forefront of the assault on Soledar, which has cost major casualties. Ukraine’s military said fighting continues. While the situation in Soledar is “very difficult,” it’s “under control,” Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov told the BBC.
The defense ministry in Moscow said the town’s fall will allow Russia to encircle the city of Bakhmut to the southwest. Military analysts say Ukrainian forces will find it harder to defend Bakhmut if Soledar is captured, but are still capable of repelling the Russian attacks. Fighting continues in the city of Bakhmut, with over 30 combat clashes within a day, Ukrainian Eastern command spokesman Serhiy Cherevatyi said on TV.
Zelenskiy Pleads for More Tanks, Artillery (10:40 a.m.)
Ukraine needs tanks and artillery to continue its defense against the Russian invasion, Zelenskiy said in a video speech to the Lithuanian parliament when accepting a Lithuanian Freedom Prize. “It’s important that Russia doesn’t get a break, doesn’t get time to adapt and doesn’t regain strength,” Zelenskiy said. “This year will be decisive.”
Zelenskiy called for new sanctions to help “keep on constant pressure on the aggressor” and for an international tribunal to prosecute those responsible for the aggression against Ukraine. Russia now has “fewer hopes it had earlier” about its military goals because “it’s losing power that it used to be so proud of, they only talk about if they can avoid losing,” Zelenskiy said.
NATO Says Will Deploy Surveillance Jets to Romania (10:35 a.m.)
The NATO military alliance said it will deploy Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) surveillance planes to Bucharest, Romania from Jan. 17. The aircraft “will support the alliance’s reinforced presence in the region and monitor Russian military activity,” NATO said in a statement.
Ukrainian Security Service Repelled 4,500 Russian Cyberattacks in 2022 (9:10 a.m.)
The Security Service of Ukraine repelled 4,500 Russian cyberattacks on Ukrainian critical state infrastructure last year, Illya Vityuk, the head of cybersecurity department, said at a briefing Friday. Russian security forces continue to look for vulnerable areas in order to destroy or steal data, Vityuk said.
Ukraine Says Forces Fighting on in Soledar (9:05 a.m.)
“Friday night was hot in Soledar, the battle is on. Russia threw almost all its main forces on the Donetsk direction to support an intensive offensive”, the Ukrainian military news agency ArmiyaInform said, citing Ukraine’s Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar. “Ukrainian troops bravely keep up the defense”, she said.
Russian Troops Likely Seized Ukraine’s Soledar, ISW Says (8:30 a.m.)
Russia has “over-exaggerated” the importance of Soledar, which is “at best a Russian Pyrrhic tactical victory,” the Institute for the Study of War said, adding that the capture of the town — a settlement smaller than 5.5 square miles — will not enable Russian forces to exert control over critical Ukrainian ground lines of communication into the city of Bakhmut, southwest of Soledar. Russian troops have been trying to capture Bakhmut for months.
China Runs Record Trade Deficit With Russia as Energy Costs Jump (8:05 a.m.)
China’s trade deficit with Russia reached a record $38 billion last year as global energy prices surged following the outbreak of war in Ukraine.
The world’s second-largest economy purchased $114.1 billion worth of goods from Russia in 2022, up 44% from a year earlier, figures from China’s General Administration of Customs showed Friday. By comparison, China’s total imports from around the globe were up just 1.1% for the year.
Italy Offers Use of Ports to Ukraine (8 a.m.)
Italy has offered the use of its logistics infrastructure, including the Adriatic Sea ports of Venice and Trieste, for Ukraine’s exports, Industry Minister Adolfo Urso said in an interview with newspaper Il Messaggero on Friday. Urso was in Kyiv Thursday where he met with Zelenskiy, ahead of a planned visit by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in coming weeks.
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