Russia claims control of salt mine town Soledar

Russia says it has taken control of Ukrainian salt mine town Soledar after a months-long battle, calling it a "crucial step".

The victory will allow Russian troops to cut off Ukrainian forces in the nearby larger city of Bakhmut, the defence ministry said.

Earlier, Ukraine said its forces were still fighting and that there had been active battles overnight.

The fighting around Soledar has been some of the bloodiest of the war.

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version.

You can receive Breaking News on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on Twitter to get the latest alerts.