Russia’s invasion force seized control of the shattered town of Vuhledar in eastern Ukraine after Kyiv’s troops withdrew to avoid being surrounded, dealing a blow to their defence of the Donetsk region against a bigger and better-armed enemy.
“Despite suffering heavy losses from prolonged fighting, the enemy persisted in their efforts to capture Vuhledar. Determined to seize control at any cost, they deployed reserves to launch flanking attacks that strained the defences of the Ukrainian armed forces. These actions created a threat of encirclement of the city,” Ukraine’s military said on Wednesday.
“The high command authorised a manoeuvre to withdraw units from Vuhledar in order to preserve personnel and military equipment and to take up a position for further operations.”
Vuhledar has been almost destroyed since Russia launched its full invasion of its pro-western neighbour in February 2022, and its defences finally cracked under relentless attack from air-launched bombs and advancing ground troops and artillery.
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Local officials said that only about 100 of Vuhledar’s pre-2022 population of 14,000 are still in the coal-mining town, whose capture by Russia will complicate logistics for Ukraine’s forces defending more important Kyiv-held cities in Donetsk region such as Pokrovsk, Slovyansk and Kramatorsk.
Moscow did not immediately react to Ukraine’s announcement of its withdrawal from Vuhledar, but pro-Kremlin military bloggers have posted footage online in recent days of Russian troops entering and raising their flags in the ruined town.
“Indeed, our military is already in Vuhledar, the Russian flag has been installed on the local administration building,” Yan Gagin, an adviser to the Moscow-installed occupation authorities in Donetsk region told Russian state media.
“However, it is too early to talk about the capture of the city – scattered units of the Ukrainian armed forces remain there. A cleanup is under way, and this will take some time,” he added.
Vuhledar is about 70km south of Pokrovsk, a small city and regional transport hub that appears to be the main target of Russia’s current offensive in the area.
Ukraine has opened an investigation after drone footage allegedly showed Russian troops lining up and executing 16 captured Ukrainian soldiers near Pokrovsk.
“This is the largest reported case of the execution of Ukrainian POWs on the frontline and yet another indication that the killing and torture of prisoners of war are not isolated incidents. This is a deliberate policy of the Russian military and political leadership,” said Ukrainian prosecutor general Andriy Kostin.
“An investigation has been initiated into this flagrant violation of the laws and customs of war,” he added. “We will identify and hold accountable the perpetrators of these crimes – from the soldiers who carry out these acts to those who issue the criminal orders and shape Russia’s doctrine of violence and intimidation.”
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