March 21 (Reuters) -

War-torn Ukraine on Thursday opened a new front in its

battle against alleged Russian misinformation through video

games by launching a game that replicates the salt-mining town

of Soledar in Donetsk Oblast.

Launched by Ukraine official fundraising platform

UNITED24, Minesalt recreates 16 real locations in Ukraine,

including multiple halls made of salt, a light gallery and a

museum in a server on Minecraft, which is owned by Microsoft ( MSFT ).

"Minesalt is a counterweight to Russian propaganda that

uses Roblox ( RBLX ) and Minecraft," said Yaroslava Gres, coordinator at

UNITED24.

The platform's ambassadors - billionaire Richard

Branson, soccer player Oleksandr Zinchenko and astronaut Scott

Kelly - are characters in the game and will accompany players in

the virtual mines.

Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 and in January last year

its troops captured Soledar, which is one of the largest salt

mines in Europe.

Russia has been accused of using online gaming platforms

such as Roblox ( RBLX ) and Minecraft for pushing its

propaganda.

Microsoft ( MSFT ) President Brad Smith

had said in April last year

that the company was tackling attempts by Russian agents

to "penetrate" online gaming communities, including those linked

to Minecraft.

While Minesalt is not made in partnership with

Microsoft ( MSFT ), it uses Minecraft's unique fonts with permission from

developer Mojang Studios and parent Microsoft ( MSFT ).

UNITED24 is seeking donations using the project's

webpage or via a link in the game. Donations received would be

used to rebuild a school that was struck by a missile, the

fundraising platform said.

It was launched in May of 2022 and has so far raised more

than $600 million, according to its website.

(Reporting by Akash Sriram in Bengaluru; Editing by Arun

Koyyur)