(Reuters) – Russian and Ukrainian forces were engaged in intense fighting on Wednesday over the town of Soledar in eastern Ukraine – a stepping stone in Moscow’s push to capture the entire Donbas region – with the Russians appearing to have the upper hand.
FIGHTING
* Soledar has symbolic, military and commercial value for Russia and if its forces capture the town and its huge salt mines, it would be Moscow’s most substantial gain since a series of retreats throughout much of the second half of 2022.
* Russia’s defence ministry said airborne units had cut off Soledar from the north and south, and the Wagner contract militia published pictures of its chief, Yevgeny Prigozhin, with fighters inside what appeared to be Soledar’s mines.
* Ukraine’s deputy defence minister said Russian forces were trying without success to break through Ukrainian defensive lines and that fierce fighting was raging.
* Russian forces shelled 13 settlements in and around Kharkiv region largely returned to Ukrainian hands in September and October, the Ukrainian military said.
* Reuters could not verify the battlefield reports.
POLITICS/DIPLOMACY/AID
* Canada will buy a U.S.-made National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS) for Ukraine, a statement from Prime Minister Trudeau’s office said.
* Ukraine introduced emergency power cuts in eastern and southeastern regions as low temperatures and difficult weather conditions stretched its crippled energy system.
* Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said a joint declaration on Tuesday by the European Union and the NATO defence alliance “confirms the complete subordination of the European Union to the tasks of the North Atlantic bloc, which is an instrument to guarantee U.S. interests by force”.
* Belarus said joint Russian-Belarusian air defence forces had been reinforced, with new missile units moved into position.
* Russia and Ukraine have agreed on an exchange of 40 prisoners of war each, Russian Human Rights Commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova said after meeting her Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Lubinets in Turkey.
* Estonia told Russia to reduce the number of diplomats at its embassy in Tallinn by February.
ECONOMY
* Russia said it would resume foreign currency interventions with the sale of yuan, underscoring the growing importance of China’s currency in Moscow’s efforts to ensure economic stability amid Western sanctions.
* The Kremlin said it had not yet seen any cases of the price caps on Russian oil imposed by the West last month.
* President Vladimir Putin said the Russian economy, financial and banking system were stable and would remain so this year.
* Moldova’s annual consumer price inflation hit 30% last month as the tiny country bordering Ukraine felt the economic impact of Russia’s war.
QUOTE
“The whole land near Soledar is covered with the corpses of the occupiers … This is what madness looks like.” – Ukrainian President Zelenskiy.
(Compiled by Kevin Liffey)
