- Russian troops have fully captured the eastern city of Vuhledar
- Ukrainian forces withdrew to avoid encirclement after intense Russian attacks
- Remaining civilians in Vuhledar face severe difficulties amid ongoing combat
Russian troops have taken entire control of the eastern city of Vuhledar, which Ukrainian forces have been defending since the start of Moscow’s full-fledged assault two and a half years earlier.
On Wednesday, Ukraine’s eastern military leadership acknowledged that they had urged troops still fighting in areas of the Vuhledar to retreat to prevent being trapped.
For more than two years, Russia has attempted to seize this city in order to march further north and reach regional transportation hubs like Kurakhove and Pokrovsk.
Pro-Kremlin military bloggers had posted multiple videos the day before showing Russian service members with flags on the rooftops of various buildings in Vuhledar.
Donetsk regional authorities reported on Tuesday that Russian troops had almost reached the city centre, and some reports indicated Ukrainian forces were still holding out in several districts.
Ukrainian soldiers had to walk out of Vuhledar on their own for the previous three days because the evacuation was difficult, according to a machine gunner who desired to stay unidentified.
Another soldier, Roman, said that Russian drones and artillery wounded and killed many people as they attempted to flee. Many more remain missing.
Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion in February 2022, Moscow has made multiple attempts to conquer the city, but all have failed. Last year, one of the most intense tank fights occurred there.
Instead of mounting frontal assaults, the Russian army lately adopted its preferred tactic: marching down the sides to surround the target. Last month, they grabbed Prechystivka to the west and Vodyane to the east, completing a pincer operation.
Moscow’s massive superiority in weapons and workforce – some soldiers estimate a seven-to-one ratio – allowed them to burst past Ukrainian military lines on the flanks and approach Vuhledar.
The Russians successfully cut off the city’s last remaining lifeline route, the road from Vuhledar to Bohoyavlenka. Russian troops drew so close that their artillery and kamikaze drones targeted everything moving along the road.
“We tried to send supplies and organise the evacuation of our wounded and dead soldiers but without any success,” Roman told the reporter. “We lost a number of vehicles and then had to stop [such operations].”
According to Donetsk regional director Vadym Filashkin, approximately 100 civilians remained in Vuhledar as of Tuesday, out of a pre-war population of 14,000.
“Thank God, we evacuated all of the children. It is difficult to access the remaining 107 individuals and deliver humanitarian aid, drinking water, and medicine because an active stage of combat is underway.”
The situation became grave when Russian troops invaded the city, and Ukrainian units began evacuating without waiting for orders to leave.
“If a withdrawal is not organised, it becomes chaotic,” the machine gunner explained. Ukrainian defences were like Titans attempting to halt the Russians, he claimed. However, he stated that other groups had been entirely lost as a result of a communication blackout. Their communications were out, so when they came under heavy fire, they had to make hasty judgments on their own, which typically meant retreating.
Russia’s aviation bombs, thermobaric weapon systems like the Solntsepek heavy flamethrower, drones, and multiple rocket launchers all wreaked havoc on Ukrainian defence lines.
Roman maintained that when confronted with such an onslaught, retiring from certain stances became necessary. “You either die or retreat.”
However, getting out of a city that had been nearly surrounded was incredibly difficult. During the day, it was close to a suicide mission.
Ukraine’s troops primarily attempted to flee at night, needing to cross minefields via planned trails to avoid the road, which the Russians constantly monitored.
Roman added that until recently, evacuation vehicles could drive in under cover of darkness with their headlights turned off. However, once Russian troops had reached the centre of the city, the only way out was on foot.
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Those who made it out are tired and depressed. They are also upset with their superiors for not ordering the departure sooner, arguing that it was apparent for some time that Ukrainian forces would be unable to hold the city for long.
“I don’t know why [they didn’t give the order],” the machine gunner explained. “Maybe it’s fear of the military leadership, or maybe it was an order from the top [to hold positions] with our blood until the very end.”
Military officials from the 72nd Brigade and Ukraine’s military command in the area declined to comment.
In their most recent daily briefings, the military’s General Staff said nothing about Vuhledar.
The briefing on Wednesday morning stated that “the enemy launched unsuccessful attacks on our positions in Bohoyavlenka’s direction,” with no mention of the situation in Vuhledar.
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