France 24: Ukraine confirms withdrawal of troops from battleground town of Soledar
Ukraine confirmed on Wednesday its troops had withdrawn from Soledar in eastern Ukraine, almost two weeks after Russian troops said they had captured the small salt-mining town.
"In order to preserve the lives of service personnel, the Defence Forces withdrew from Soledar," military spokesman Serhiy Cherevatyi was quoted as saying by state broadcaster Suspilne.
His remarks were the first Ukrainian confirmation that Russian forces have captured Soledar, which is in the Donetsk region.
"(Our forces) fulfilled their main task: not allowing the enemy to systematically break through in the Donetsk direction," Cherevatyi was quoted as saying.
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WNU Editor: Russian forces actually seized Soledar 12 days ago (link here). The announcement is being made now by Kyiv after videos begin to emerge over the weekend of half a dozen Russian trucks filled with the coffins of killed Ukrainian soldiers being prepared to be repatriated to the Ukrainian side.
One of the constant criticisms and anger that I am constantly hearing from my Ukrainian friends and family members is the complete lack of information from the Ukrianian government on missing Ukrainian soldiers. My Ukrainian cousin manages a Facebook page for families of missing Ukrainian soldiers, and she estimates that there are anywhere from 35,000 to 50,000 soldiers that are now listed as missing.
Sighhh .... thousands killed on both sides and for what.
Ukraine Confirms That Its Forces Have Withdrawn From The Battleground Town Of Soledar
Ukraine war: Ukraine admits pulling out of front line town of Soledar -- BBC
Ukraine confirms its troops have withdrawn from Soledar -- Reuters
Ukraine’s Forces Have Retreated from Soledar After an Intense Battle -- New York Times
Defenders of Soledar leave city Armed Forces of Ukraine -- Ukrayinska Pravda