Ukraine says mining town holding out against Russian assault

Smoke billows during fighting between Ukrainian and Russian forces in Soledar, Donetsk region, Ukraine (Libkos/AP)

The fate of a devastated salt-mining town in eastern Ukraine hung in the balance on Wednesday as Ukraine said its forces were holding out against a furious Russian onslaught in one of the fiercest and bloodiest recent ground battles of the nearly 11-month war.

Russian forces using jets, mortars and rockets bombarded Soledar in what a Ukrainian military officer said was an unrelenting assault.