Several Ukrainian officials had suggested in recent weeks that the capture of this city was imminent.
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The conquest of Vougledar by the Russian army puts an end to the stability of this sector, at the junction of the eastern and southern fronts. The Ukrainian army announced on Wednesday October 2 that it was withdrawing from this city of military and symbolic importance, yielding to Russian forces after two and a half years of deadly fighting. “The High Command gave its authorization to the withdrawal maneuver from Vougledar to allow men and military equipment to be saved and new positions to be taken for the continuation of operations”explained on Telegram the Khortytsia force group, responsible for operations in this area.
The fall of Vougledar adds to the difficulties faced by the Ukrainians in the eastern part of their country, with Russian troops in particular getting closer to Pokrovsk, a key city for Ukrainian logistics. Finally, it is an illustration of the growing difficulties that kyiv is encountering in the east of the country. Thus, several Ukrainian officials had suggested in recent weeks that the capture of this city was imminent.
On Tuesday, images of soldiers waving the Russian flag on the roof of the municipal administration began circulating online.
On the Russian side, an advisor to the leader of the occupying forces of the Donetsk region, Ian Gaguine, confirmed on Wednesday that Russian troops were in Vougledar, while exercising caution. “Our soldiers are in Vougledar, a Russian flag has been planted on the local administration building. However, it is premature to talk about taking the town”he told Russian state news agency RIA Novosti. “There are still scattered units of the Ukrainian army. A clean-up operation is underway and will take some time,” he added.
Russia has been trying to take Vougledar since the first weeks of its invasion launched on February 24, 2022. Particularly bloody fighting for Russian forces took place there in early 2023, with many men launching into infantry and army assaults. tanks having been destroyed by the Ukrainians. The devastated city was relentlessly bombarded by the Russian army. A small number of civilians have refused to leave, but neither kyiv nor Moscow can say how many.