Russian forces have captured the strategic eastern Ukrainian town of Vuhledar after more than two years of fighting, according to both Russian and Ukrainian sources. On October 1, Russian troops raised their tricolor flag over the town’s central administration building in Donetsk Oblast.
Confirmed. Russia has fully occupied Vuhledar. Russian units from the 36th Separate Guards Motor Rifle Brigade raised their flag over the Vuhledar City Council. Ukrainian forces have withdrawn to Bohoyavlenka, north of Vuhledar. pic.twitter.com/q2OZueh9Gc
— NOELREPORTS 🇪🇺 🇺🇦 (@NOELreports) October 1, 2024
Ukraine’s military confirmed its forces withdrew from Vuhledar to avoid encirclement, citing the need to preserve personnel and equipment. Russian forces had renewed their offensive in late August, launching heavy bombardments and armored assaults on the town. The Ukrainian 72nd Mechanized Brigade described the fighting as some of the most intense since the start of Russia’s invasion in 2022.
Despite Russia’s victory, the months-long battle for Vuhledar came at a steep cost. The Ukrainian military inflicted significant losses on Russian armored units during repeated mechanized assaults. In February 2023, Russian forces suffered heavy casualties when Ukrainian artillery destroyed advancing columns of tanks and infantry. According to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), while Russia claims to have wiped out large numbers of Ukrainian troops, the true scale of Ukrainian casualties remains unclear.
Horrific footages from Vuhledar: Russia is actively using “scorched earth” tactic pic.twitter.com/yZZvGtRal1
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) September 24, 2024
Vuhledar’s population, once over 14,000, has dwindled to fewer than 100 after two years of constant shelling and battles. The town’s importance stems from its location near Pokrovsk, a key logistics hub in the Donetsk region, and its proximity to Russian-occupied Mariupol. Russian military bloggers hailed the victory as “operational, if not operational-strategic.”
Vuhledar, a city that no longer exists. Russia has been trying to capture it since March 2022, reducing it to rubble over 2.5 years. This is the real Russia—and this is what delays in decision-making lead to pic.twitter.com/RR5gBFZsXM
— Maria Avdeeva (@maria_avdv) October 2, 2024
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