MOSCOW, January 11. /TASS/. The city of Soledar, the scene of intense fighting in the past few days, has been taken under control by units of Russia’s Wagner private military company, the company’s chief Yevgeny Prigozhin was quoted as saying by his press service on Tuesday night.

"Units of the Wagner private military company have taken the entire territory of Soledar under their control. The city center has been surrounded, and urban warfare is under way. The number of captives will be announced tomorrow," Prigozhin was quoted as saying on his company’s Telegram channel.

The acting head of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), Denis Pushilin, said the republic’s cities of Soledar and Artemovsk were about to be liberated. Intense fighting is under way in those areas, he added.