Donetsk, Jan 18 — DAN. Foreign mercenaries who fought on the side of Ukraine have been taken prisoner in Soledar, Donetsk People’s Republic Acting Head Denis Pushilin said on Wednesday.
“As for the prisoners, I cannot presently tell the precise number. There are foreign mercenaries (among them), but as a rule, the Ukrainian regime continues to hide it to the utmost, ” Pushilin told Channel One.
Soledar is a small town in the north of the Donetsk People’s Republic. It is located next to Artyomovsk, a key Ukrainian army stronghold in Donbass. The town was captured by the Wagner Group private military company. On January 13, the Russian Defense Ministry reported that Soledar had been fully liberated from Ukrainian troops. The town accommodates the Artyomsol company, the largest salt producer in Central and Eastern Europe.
Russia launched the special military operation to defend Donbass on February 24, 2022.*jk