Vuhledar has symbolic value for Russians — expert

The Ukrainian Defence Forces have withdrawn from the town of Vuhledar in Donetsk Region. The aim was to preserve personnel and military equipment.

Pavlo Narozhnyi, founder of the «Jet Mail» charity foundation and a military expert, spoke about this on Hromadske Radio.

«We should start with the fact that they [the Russians] are not interested in the city itself, because it is completely destroyed. However, there are two strategic sites near it that might interest them. The first is the Volnovakha-Melitopol railway line, which runs 18-20 km from the city and could be used by the enemy. Secondly, Vuhledar is located at the crossroads of two major motorways, which would significantly improve the occupiers’ local logistics.»

Narozhnyi added that the Ukrainian military will still be able to keep the Volnovakha-Melitopol railway line under fire control, as the withdrawal was «not over a significant distance.»

«We will be able to destroy anything that moves there.»

Narozhnyi noted that the occupiers committed a large amount of resources to capturing Vuhledar, with an estimated 20-30 thousand fighters constantly stationed in the area.

«The city was caught in a «tick, suggesting a significant concentration of enemy manpower.»

Currently, the «pocket» that once existed in Vuhledar has been flattened by the occupiers, meaning the resources used to capture the town will likely be redirected to other parts of the frontline.

«The occupiers are likely to advance towards the Pokrovsk direction.»

In general, Vuhledar holds symbolic value for the Russians, according to the expert. Additionally, the town is located on a «so-called dominant height.» However, Narozhnyi pointed out that opinions on the importance of this vary.

«Nowadays, dominant heights have lost some significance in terms of intelligence. However, it is still more difficult to storm elevated positions.»

Narozhnyi explained that the occupiers used their standard tactic of attacking from the flanks to capture Vuhledar.

«This is how they managed to take the town. On one side, they broke through the flank, and on the other, they seized the mines. It took the Russians 25 months to capture the city.»

The aftermath of the loss of Vuhledar

The expert added that he does not have detailed information about the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Vuhledar.

«It’s clear the situation there was difficult. Communication may have been lost due to constant Russian jamming. However, we did not communicate directly with the infantry, so we don’t have precise information.»

Narozhnyi emphasized that although the situation is difficult, it remains under control across all parts of the frontline.

«The situation cannot be called critical. A critical situation would be if we lost tens of kilometers of territory and had to retreat. That’s not the case here, even with Vuhledar. We’re talking about a withdrawal of a few kilometers.»

According to Narozhnyi, the most challenging situation is now in the Kurakhove and Pokrovsk directions. He explained that these two areas should be considered together because the road to Kramatorsk runs through Pokrovsk, and the enemy is doing everything possible to cut off this supply line. Nearly 60% of all supplies to Kramatorsk pass through this route.

«That’s why they’re so determined to capture it. If they succeed in cutting it off, the only road to Kramatorsk will be along the front line.»

Furthermore, this area is very advantageous for the enemy in terms of logistics.

«They have concentrated significant resources here. If you look at the situation elsewhere, everything is relatively calm, but here they are making an aggressive push.»

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As of the morning of 1 October, 107 people were still living in Vuhledar. However, all the children had been evacuated earlier. Vadym Filashkin, head of the Donetsk Regional Military Administration, reported that the invaders were moving toward the city center.

On 26 September, DeepState co-founder Ruslan Mykula mentioned that the loss of Vuhledar was a matter of days or weeks.

• Vuhledar had been defended by the 72nd Brigade for over two years.