Ukrainian Defense Forces Confirm Withdrawal from Vuhledar

The Ukrainian Defense Forces have confirmed their withdrawal from Vuhledar.

This was reported by Khortytsia Operational-Strategic Group of Troops and the 28th Separate Mechanized Brigade.

“After suffering heavy losses in prolonged battles, the enemy has not given up its attempts to capture Vuhledar. In an effort to take the city at any cost, they managed to deploy reserves to conduct flanking attacks, which exhausted the defenses of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. As a result of these actions, the threat of encirclement around the city emerged,” the message said.

"The higher command has authorized a maneuver to withdraw our units from Vuhledar in order to preserve both personnel and military equipment, and to reposition for future operations."

For nearly two years, Ukraine's 72nd Mechanized Brigade has been defending Vuhledar, an important position for Ukrainian forces in the southern part of the Donetsk region. Russian forces have been trying to seize the town since the full-scale invasion began in 2022.

The front-line town is located approximately 50 kilometers (30 miles) southwest of temporarily occupied Donetsk and about 40 kilometers (25 miles) east of the administrative border with Zaporizhzhia region.