Russian forces are closing in on central Vuhledar, a strategically important mining town in the Donetsk region of Ukraine, according to Donetsk’s Kyiv-appointed governor.
Regional governor Vadym Filashkin stated in televised comments on Oct. 1 that “The enemy is already nearly in the center of the city.”
Video footage shared on social media appears to show Russian soldiers raising the Russian flag over several buildings in Vuhledar (Ugledar in Russian), aligning with Filashkin’s remarks.
Despite Ukrainian troops remaining in the town, the commander of a Ukrainian drone battalion in Vuhledar described the battlefield situation as “very difficult” to Reuters.
Ukraine’s eastern military command announced on Oct. 2 that it had ordered its troops to withdraw from Vuhledar to prevent encirclement by Russian forces and to “preserve personnel and military equipment.”
As of now, Russia’s defense ministry has not confirmed the capture of the town, but TASS news agency reported on Oct. 1 that Ukrainian forces had been compelled to abandon positions in the central part of Vuhledar.
TASS quoted a military source on Oct. 2 stating that Ukrainian forces in Vuhledar had been “eliminated” after sustaining “heavy losses.”
Vuhledar, located approximately 40 miles southwest of Donetsk city, is a vital mining town and logistics hub with a pre-war population of around 15,000 people.
The town’s strategic significance lies in its proximity to a railway line connecting Donbas to the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia annexed in 2014 and where the Black Sea Fleet is stationed.
If the fall of Vuhledar is confirmed, it is likely to open the path for further Russian advances to the north and west, bringing Moscow closer to gaining control of the entire Donbas region.
Controlling the Russian-speaking Donbas region has been a key objective for Moscow since the beginning of its invasion of eastern Ukraine in early 2022.
With Western support, Kyiv aims to reclaim the four lost territories, including Crimea, from Russia, which now claims them as part of the Russian Federation.
Russian forces are estimated to be in control of 60 percent of the Donetsk region and 98.5 percent of Luhansk.
Over the past two months, rapidly advancing Russian forces have made significant gains in Donbas, capturing several towns and villages.
Despite a failed Ukrainian offensive into Russia’s Kursk region in August, Russian forces have continued their advance, recently seizing the town of Makiivka in Luhansk and Ukrainsk in Donetsk.
They are now positioned to take Pokrovsk, a crucial Ukrainian transit and logistics hub located north of Vuhledar.
Recent captures by Russian forces include Memryk, Krasnohorivka, Hryhorivka, Vodiane, and Halytsynivka in the vicinity of Pokrovsk.
Reuters contributed to this report.
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