RT reported that Ukrainian forces in the fortress city of Ugledar in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) said they were withdrawing from the stronghold after weeks of fierce fighting with the Russian army.
Located on a hill in an open area and mostly consisting of high-rise concrete buildings, Ugledar has been turned into a large fortress by the Ukrainian army.
The defenders' war has dragged on for months, but in recent weeks, Russian forces have stepped up attacks and controlled parts of the town.
On October 2, the Khortitsa special forces of the Ukrainian army issued a statement on their Telegram channel revealing that "the senior command has allowed a withdrawal of troops from Ugledar".
The move is aimed at "preserving personnel and combat equipment" for further combat operations, Khortitsa explained.
According to the group, Ukrainian units in Ugledar were "exhausted" by Russian attacks on both sides of the issue and "the town was at risk of being surrounded".
Earlier in the day, a security source told TASS news agency that Russian forces had almost completed their "clearing" in the town. Several Kiev units there suffered "huge damage" after failing to leave Ugledar in time, the source added.
Also on October 2, Yan Gagin - advisor to the head of the DPR - told RIA Novosti that the Russian flag had been raised on Ugledar's city hall. However, Yan Gagin also noted that it was too early to say that Moscow had completely taken control of the town.
The Russian Defense Ministry did not mention Ugledar in its daily bulletin. The ministry reported the capture of the village of Verkhnekamenskoye in the northeast of the Donetsk People's Republic. The settlement is located 5 km east of the town of Seversk, a key Ukrainian stronghold and logistics hub in the region.
The Russian Defense Ministry estimates that Ukrainian forces have lost up to 2,120 soldiers along the front line in the past 24 hours.
Ugledar is a town built around a coal mine (its name comes from the Ukrainian word for coal). Located about 50 km south of Pokrovsk, Ugledar has been considered the main focus of Russia's offensive in the east over the past few months.
Although not a transportation and logistics hub like Pokrovsk, Ugledar has been reinforced and is seen as a key fortress at the crossroads of Ukraine's eastern and southern fronts. The capture of Ugledar is considered by many observers to be a strategic victory for Russia.
This makes the victory a "combat strategy, if not a combat strategy," said famous Russian war blogger Boris Rozhin.
In fact, this barrier (noting Ugledars high position) is located at the intersection of the Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk fronts, posing a constant threat to the group protecting Mariupol approaches, noted famous war blogger Boris Rozhin, referring to the southern Ukrainian city that has been in Russian hands since 2022.
