Ukrainian 72nd Brigade Discusses Challenges and Strategy Behind Vuhledar Withdrawal

Withdrawal from Vuhledar was challenging, but this decision minimized casualties and helped to evacuate wounded soldiers, said Arseniy Prilypka, press officer of Ukraine’s 72nd Mechanized Brigade during an interview with Radio Liberty on October 3.

“The evacuation of the wounded was difficult due to enemy pressure on the flanks, complicating logistics. It was critical to evacuate our soldiers from Vuhledar and the positions around it. Of course, there were losses—it’s war, after all. But by retreating to another line, we minimized them as much as possible. Holding the city further would have been critically difficult for our units, leading to even greater losses,” Prilypka explained.

When asked about the decision-making process behind the withdrawal from Vuhledar, Prilypka said that orders are given based on the situation on the ground and are coordinated through military hierarchy. He also responded to criticism regarding the timeliness of the orders to retreat.

“In the military, everything is done by order and command, following the hierarchy. The higher command assesses the situation and acts accordingly, and the brigade commander makes decisions based on the conditions on the battlefield. It’s easy to criticize decisions without being at the command post and without knowing the full situation and information available to the brigade commander,” Prilypka noted.

Ukrainian Forces retreated from Vuhledar, Donetsk region on October 2, marking an end to fierce fighting for the city that continued from the start of the Russian full-scale invasion in 2022.