The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported on the capture of the village of Sol in the Donetsk region. The report of the department says that it was taken by "volunteers of assault detachments with fire support from operational-tactical and army aviation, missile troops and artillery of the Southern Military District."
On January 16, Telegram channels associated with the Wagner PMC claimed that the Wagnerites had captured Salt (the station is administratively part of the city). On January 17, Denis Pushilin, the acting head of the "DPR", reported about the transition of Salt under the control of the Russian military.
At the same time, the Ukrainian side does not confirm the capture of Salt. In the morning report, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that the attacks on Sol were repelled.
Sol is an important transport hub on the direct communication route between Bakhmut and Seversk, administratively it is part of the city of Soledar. Fighting in the area of Soledar and Bakhmut has been going on since the spring of 2022. On January 11, the owner of the Wagner PMC, Yevgeny Prigozhin, announced that Soledar had been "completely liberated" by the Wagnerites. At the same time, it was claimed in Ukraine that Soledar had not been surrendered and the fighting in it was still going on. On January 13, a representative of the Russian Ministry of Defense announced the capture of Soledar at a briefing. On January 17, the “headquarters of the DPR’s territorial defense” reported on the “liberation” of Soledar.