Ukrainian Forces withdraw from Vodyane amid Russian advances in Donetsk region
According to the latest map from the DeepState project, Ukrainian Armed Forces have retreated from Vodyane, a village just 4 km from Vuhledar. The Ukrainian command has not officially reported losing this locality.
Russian units are advancing in the Donetsk region and have made gains near Pokrovsk and Vuhledar, moving between 500 meters to 1.3 kilometers forward and fully occupying one settlement.
DeepState analysts highlighted ongoing clashes near Vuhledar on the Kurakhove front and near Hrodivka on the Pokrovsk front, noting Russian advancements towards the western administrative borders of the Donetsk region.
According to DeepState, on Kurakhove front Russian forces have occupied the village of Vodyane near Vuhledar. Their map shows that Russian units crossed road O0532, which leads from Marinka to Vuhledar, between September 2-3. They then reached the outskirts of Vodyane (an area of 1 sq. km), where fighting continued for five days before the enemy captured the village and advanced another 1.3 kilometers. The front line, as indicated on the map, now skirts around Vuhledar, located 4 km to the south, while Russian forces move along a local road towards Bohoyavlenka (6.5 km north).
On Pokrovske front, Russian troops have advanced an additional 500 meters towards the center of Hrodivka. Approximately one third of the settlement, or 1.38 sq. km of its total 5.18 sq. km area, is now under Russian control.
Detailed account of combat in the Donbas region as of September 9. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine released a combat report as of 10 PM on September 8. The report states that the number of Russian assaults on the Kurakhove and Pokrovske fronts were nearly identical, with 25 and 29 attacks respectively. Other hot spots include Toretsk (17) and Kupyansk (13). The command did not mention developments in Vodyane near Vuhledar.
Earlier, on September 6, it was reported about the threat of Russian advances towards Kurakhove and Vuhledar. Analysts from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) warned that the Russian command is interested in the area between Pokrovsk and Vuhledar, west of Donetsk. Analysts indicated that Russia aims to achieve two objectives: "even out" the front line over an 80-kilometer arc between these points and advance along road H-15, which leads from Kurakhove towards Zaporizhzhia.
On September 7, soldiers from the Ukrainian 53rd Mechanized Brigade reclaimed positions on the Toretsk front and raised the Ukrainian flag in the village of New York.