RUSSIAN-BACKED MERCENARIES ARE CLAIMING VICTORY OVER THE
ENTIRE INDUSTRIAL TOWN OF SOLEDAR.
UKRAINE'S MILITARY ADMITS FIERCE BATTLES ARE GOING ON
THERE. BUT SAYS THAT ITS FORCES HAVE
THINGS UNDER CONTROL. THE BATTLE FOR SOLEDAD'S
BLOODY. A UKRAINIAN SOLDIER TELLS CNN
THAT THE DEATH TOLL IS NOW SO HIGH THAT THEY'VE STOPPED
COUNTING THE DEAD. SOLEDAD IS LOCATED IN THE
DONETSK REGION. NOT FAR FROM THE CITY OF
BUCKINGHAM. TO THE BIGGEST SALT MINE IN
EUROPE. AND A VAST NETWORK OF
UNDERGROUND TUNNELS. WHICH RUSSIAN FORCES ARE LIKELY
TO EXPLOIT. MORE NOW ON THE FIGHTING IN
SOLIDARITY FROM CNN'S SCOTT MCLAIN.
REPORTING FROM KYIV. >> SMOKE BILLOWS OVER THE SALT
MINES IN SOLEDAR. EASTERN UKRAINE.
THIS SMALL TOWN NOW THE SCENE OF SOME OF THE FIERCEST
FIGHTING IN THE 11TH MONTH WAR. VIDEO FILMED BY A SOLDIER ON
THE FRONTLINE SHOWS THE HOUSE TO HOUSE STYLE FIGHTING.
TROOPS ARE NOW LOCKED INTO. THE TANK IS WORKING, DID YOU
HEAR? UKRAINIAN FIGHTER SAYS.
THE STREETS LITTERED WITH DEBRIS.
AS FIGHTERS BATTLE FOR CONTROL OF THE STRATEGIC TOWN.
THIS PART OF THE WAR'S FRONTLINE IS DOMINATED BY THE
PRIVATE MILITARY GROUPS. WAGNER HEAD YEVGENY PRIGOZHIN
PRAISING THE BRAVERY OF THE UKRAINIAN FORCES HE IS TRYING
TO DEFEAT. IT MEETING ON SUNDAY THAT HIS
MEN WERE EXCLUSIVELY WORKING TO CAPTURE THE TOWN IN THE MINES
UNDERNEATH SOLEDAD FROM BUCKINGHAM.
THE TOWN WALLS ARE ALMOST ENTIRELY DEMOLISHED.
ACCORDING TO UKRAINIAN OFFICIALS.
SOLEDAR, THOSE SMALL IN SIZE, IS STRATEGICALLY IMPORTANT TO
THE ULTIMATE CAPTURE MCNUTT. A WAY OF SURROUNDING THE CITY
FROM THE NORTH AND DISRUPTING UKRAINE COMMUNICATION LINES.
>> THE BATTLE FOR THE DONBAS CONTINUES.
ALTHOUGH THE OCCUPIERS HAVE NO CONCENTRATED THEIR EFFORTS ON
FLORIDA, THE RESULT OF THIS DIFFICULT AND PROLONG THE
BATTLE WILL BE THE LIBERATION OF OUR ENTIRE DONBAS.
>> UKRAINE'S PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY MONDAY
ACKNOWLEDGED THE EXTREMELY DIFFICULT SITUATION IN SOLEDAD.
RUSSIA MEANWHILE IS STILL REELING OVER THE DEVASTATING
UKRAINIAN STRIKE ON TROOPS HOUSED IN KYIV GOT ON NEW
YEAR'S DAY. MOSCOW SAYING THAT 89
SERVICEMAN WAS KILLED. UKRAINE SAYS THERE WERE
HUNDREDS. RUSSIA SAYS IT WILL NOT PUBLISH
THEIR NAMES. CLAIMING IT WILL HELP FOREIGN
INTERNET ACTIVITIES AGAINST THEM.
AS FIGHTING RAGES ON, ALL EYES ARE ON WHEN AND IF IT MAY FALL.
SCOTT MCLAIN, CNN, KYIV. >> THE PENTAGON CONFIRMS THAT
IT WILL BEGIN TRAINING UKRAINIAN TROOPS ON THE MISSILE
SYSTEM IN THE U.S. AS SOON AS NEXT WEEK.
BETWEEN 90 AND 100 SOLDIERS WILL VISIT FORT SILL IN
OKLAHOMA FOR THE PROGRAM. WHICH IS EXPECTED TO TAKE
SEVERAL MONTHS. CNN'S CLARE SEBASTIAN IS
FOLLOWING THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS FOR US AND JOINS
US LIVE FROM LONDON. WANTING TO CLARE.
WHAT MORE ARE YOU LEARNING ABOUT THESE UKRAINIAN TROOPS
SAID TO BEGIN TRAINING ON THE PATRIOT MISSILE SYSTEM HERE IN
THE U.S.. NEXT WEEK.
>> WAS, BY A SIGNIFICANT STEP FOR UKRAINIAN FORCES TO BE
HEADING TO THE U.S. FOR TRAINING.
THE U.S. HAS FOUR CONTACTS BEEN TRAINING FORCES IN EUROPE.
PARTICULARLY IN GERMANY. PLANNING TO STEP UP THE
PROGRAM. BUT THIS WOULD BE 9200
UKRAINIAN TROOPS WHO, AS SOON AS NEXT WEEK WILL BE HEADING TO
FORT SILL IN OKLAHOMA. THE TRAINING FACILITY THAT THE
U.S. USES TO TRAIN ITS OWN SOLDIERS.
ON THAT PATRIOT BATTERY. THEY ARE PLANNING TO EXPEDITE
THE USUAL TIMELINE FOR THIS TRAINING.
TYPICALLY IT CAN TAKE UP TO A YEAR TO TRAIN SOLDIERS TO USE
THE PATRIOT MISSILE DEFENSE SYSTEM.
BUT THEY PLAN TO GET IT DONE IN SEVERAL MONTHS.
CLEARLY THEY WANT TO EXPEDITE TO MINIMIZE THE AMOUNT OF TIME
THAT THE TROOPS SPEND AWAY FROM THE BATTLEFIELD.
AND TO GET THE PATRIOT BATTERY TO WHERE IT IS NEEDED THE MOST.
PRESIDENT ZELENSKYY STEPPING UP HIS CALL FOR WESTERN AID IN HIS
NIGHTLY ADDRESS TUESDAY. SAYING THAT THIS IS NOT EVEN
MORE IMPORTANT WITH RUSSIA POTENTIALLY PLANNING A ANOTHER
ESCALATION. I THINK SEVERAL MONTHS IS
PERHAPS TOO LONG FOR THE PATRIOT MISSILE TO PLAY A KEY
ROLE IN THE NEAR FUTURE. BUT CLEARLY, STILL A VERY
PRIZED ADDITION TO THE WESTERN MILITARY AID PACKAGE UKRAINE IS
SEEN. >> ALL RIGHT, OUR THANKS TO
CLARE SEBASTIAN JOINING US LIVE FROM LONDON.