Hundreds of civilians are trapped in Soledar amid fierce fighting, Ukraine says

Governor of Donetsk says 559 civilians including 15 children could not be evacuated, while Ukraine claims its troops are ‘holding on’ to the city

Ukraine has said hundreds of civilians remain trapped in Soledar, as bloody fighting continued on Thursday over control of the largely destroyed salt mining town in eastern Ukraine.

Pavlo Kyrylenko, Ukraine’s governor of Donetsk, told Ukrainian state TV that 559 civilians remained in Soledar, including 15 children, and could not be evacuated.