Ukrainian forces leave Vuhledar in Donetsk Oblast due to threat of encirclement, military says

Ukrainian defenders have withdrawn from the war-torn city of Vuhledar in Donetsk Oblast to preserve personnel and military equipment and to take up positions for further fighting.

Source: Khortytsia Operational Strategic Group of the Ukrainian defence forces 

Details: Ukrainian forces reported that, despite heavy losses from prolonged fighting, Russian troops continued their efforts to capture Vuhledar. The Russians deployed reserves to weaken the Ukrainian defences with flanking attacks, creating a risk of encirclement for Ukrainian soldiers.

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Quote: “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.

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.”

Background: 

• On 2 October, Ukraine’s General Staff excluded the fighting for Vuhledar from its report.
• On 1 October, DeepState, a group of military analysts, reported that Russian troops had captured Vuhledar in Donetsk Oblast.
• Analysts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) believe that the occupation of Vuhledar is unlikely to dramatically change the course of offensive operations in the western part of Donetsk Oblast, as the city is not a particularly important logistical hub.

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