Devastated by over two and a half years of fighting, the coal mining city of Vuhledar has been occupied by russian forces. Ukraine's Khortytsia Operational-Strategic Forces Group has reported a troop withdrawal maneuver carried out "to preserve the personnel and combat equipment, to take positions for further actions."
"In an effort to take control of the city at any cost, [the enemy] managed to direct the reserves for flank attacks, which exhausted the defense of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' units. As a result of the enemy's actions, the city was faced with the threat of encirclement," the official statement reads.
Read more: russian Occupiers Complain of "Shell Famine" After Ukrainian Strikes on Ammunition Depots
Citing a local governor, Suspilne-Donbas estimates there are 107 civilians still left in the city who "categorically refused to leave," even though the russian forces and hostilities were drawing closer. There used to be approximately 15,000 residents in Vuhledar before russia launched its assault in the early weeks of invasion, back in March 2022.
Holding the city was primarily the 72nd Mechanized Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. A week prior to the withdrawal, a serviceman of this unit told Suspilne about the tactics russians used on the offensive: relentless armored assault combined with long-range strikes using artillery, FPV drones and guided aerial bombs. The russians used armored vehicles "basically as consumables" by sending them in one-way trips towards Ukrainian positions, only to be destroyed on approach, said company commander with call sign Oscar.
BBC pinpoints that the breaking point was when russian forces cut off the logistical supply route from Vuhledar to a nearby village Bohoiavlenka. They managed to approach close enough to take the road under fire control and struck anyone trying to move in or out of the surrounded city.
The U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War recalls two major attempts by russian forces to seize the city, in October-November 2022 and January-February 2023. Both failed at the time and led to heavy losses in personnel and equipment, especially in the 155th Naval Infantry Brigade of the russian Pacific Fleet which had to be restaffed multiple times losing most of its manpower in battles.
The institution also assesses that russians now capturing the city is unlikely to result in any further rapid advancements. The analysts note that russians tried to target Ukrainian convoys departing from the city with FPV drone strikes and inflicted unspecified losses but overall Ukrainians managed to avoid encirclement. The exact timeline of the withdrawal operation is hazy but believed to have started September 30th.
Read more: russian Occupiers Complain of "Shell Famine" After Ukrainian Strikes on Ammunition Depots
