Ukrainian Forces withdraw from Vuhledar
Ukrainian armed forces have withdrawn from Vuhledar in the Donetsk region, according to an announcement by the operational-strategic group Khoritsa. The statement detailed that "the high command authorized a maneuver to withdraw units from Vuhledar to preserve personnel and military equipment and to reposition for future actions." It further noted that Russian forces "were able to reinforce and conduct flanking attacks that exhausted the defenses" of the Ukrainian units. Military analyst Yan Matveyev previously mentioned that he viewed the capture of Vuhledar as a result of the withdrawal of the remaining units of the 72nd Mechanized Brigade: "A completely correct decision from the standpoint of Ukrainian commanders. It was impossible to defend the city any longer, and delays had already led to significant losses."
On October 1, the Russian war channel "Voin DV" claimed that Ukrainian soldiers were leaving Vuhledar "on foot in small groups of two or three, directly through forest belts and fields." The channel added, "We reiterate that the collapse of the enemy front after their loss of Vuhledar should not be expected. In the Dobrovolie/Bogoyavlenka and Novoukrainka areas, they had already established a defensive line that we are now testing for resilience."
The battle for Vuhledar had raged for nearly two years. Initial Russian attempts to capture the city in the fall and winter of 2022 involved large-scale frontal attacks, resulting in significant armored vehicle losses. However, in recent weeks, Russian forces successfully flanked the city, threatening Ukrainian supply lines and gaining a foothold in the urban area.