Eastern city had resisted repeated attacks but Russian troops are close to ‘encircling’ it in Donetsk advance

Ukraine has said that its forces have withdrawn from the eastern city of Vuhledar, a defensive bastion that had resisted repeated Russian attacks since Vladimir Putin’s 2022 full-scale invasion.

The military command in Kyiv said its troops left late on Tuesday. They had retreated in order to preserve personnel and combat equipment, it said, adding that Russian combat units had attacked from three directions and were close to “encircling” the city.

The fall of Vuhledar is a boost for the Kremlin and comes as Russian troops advance across the eastern Donetsk oblast. In February they captured the city of Avdiivka, outside the regional capital of Donetsk, occupied in 2014.

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  • PugJesus@lemmy.worldEnglish
    29·
    1 month ago

    According to the ISW, the loss of Vuhledar will not fundamentally alter offensive operations because it is “not a particularly crucial logistics node”. Russian forces already controlled surrounding access roads, the institute said. They would now have to “manoeuvre” across open terrain in order to link up with units farther north.