The Russian Ministry of Defense announced the capture of Vugledar

The Russian Ministry of Defense announced the capture of the city of Ugledar in the Donetsk region of Ukraine, battles for which have been going on since the end of 2022. Yesterday it became known about the decision of the Ukrainian Armed Forces to withdraw troops from there due to the “threat of encirclement.”

Today, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky also commented on the withdrawal of Ukrainian Armed Forces units from Vugledar.

“These are our people, citizens of Ukraine, so it is very right that they leave and can save themselves. These are absolutely the right steps,” Zelensky said at a press conference in Kyiv along with new NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. “That’s why we ask that you provide us with the appropriate permissions.” Is it possible to stop Russia without this?”

The fighting for the city of Ugledar began after the capture of the neighboring village of Pavlovka in November 2022, which was also accompanied by heavy losses on the Russian side. In January and February 2023, one of the unsuccessful attempts to storm Vugledar by Russian troops took place.

As a result of the fighting, the city was destroyed , its territory remained under the control of Ukraine. As noted by Reuters , Ugledar is of great strategic importance due to its elevation and location near the junction of two main fronts, in the east and south of Ukraine. Russian troops reached the outskirts of the city last week and then stepped up their offensive in recent days.