"Units of the Wagner Group have liberated Blagodatnoye. Blagodatnoye is under our control," Prigozhin said on Telegram.
Earlier this month, the Russian Defense Ministry said that the city of Soledar in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) was cleared of Ukrainian troops mainly thanks to the "courageous and selfless actions of the volunteers of the Wagner assault squads." The liberation of the city of Soledar from Ukrainian troops was completed on the evening of January 12.
The Wagner Group has been participating in Russia's special military operation in Ukraine and played an important role in taking control of Soledar. The liberation of Soledar has opened the way to the bridgehead of Slavyansk and Kramatorsk, which can become a turning point in wrestling control over the entire territory of DPR from Ukraine, according to DPR acting head Denis Pushilin.