Oleksandr Okhrimenko/Photo: Novynarnya
Colonel Oleksandr Okhrimenko, the newly appointed commander of the 72nd Separate Mechanised Brigade, named after the Black Zaporozhians, shared details of the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ withdrawal from Vuhledar, Donetsk region. He also addressed the challenges of evacuating the wounded and the significant imbalance in troop numbers between Ukrainian and Russian forces.
Okhrimenko assumed command of the brigade on 7 October, replacing Ivan Vinnik. In an interview with Glavkom, he described the situation in Vuhledar as extremely tense. The situation was particularly harsh on the flanks. This made holding the city increasingly difficult. He emphasized that by the end of September, the brigade was facing a tactical encirclement. This complicated evacuation and resupply efforts. Reserves that could have been deployed earlier were already under enemy fire by 27-28 September.
«Objectively, it was impossible to hold Vuhledar with the forces and resources we had at our disposal. Additionally, by the end of September, the situation in southern Donbas had shifted so much that holding Vuhledar was losing its strategic importance», — Okhrimenko explained.
He further noted that during intense combat operations, it is nearly impossible to guarantee that 100% of the wounded are evacuated.
«The evacuation was carried out, but, unfortunately, we could not evacuate everyone. Under enemy fire, evacuation teams sometimes couldn’t even reach the designated rendezvous points. During the maneuverable defense and withdrawal, we were unable to evacuate all personnel», — he admitted.
Okhrimenko declined to provide specific figures on the number of casualties. However, he asserted that the figures reported by Russian military commanders are exaggerated.
Okhrimenko also shed light on the ratio of Ukrainian and Russian troops near Vuhledar, stating that Ukrainian forces were outnumbered nearly 1:9 in favor of the enemy.
«When we took over the area of responsibility, we assessed the situation, including the enemy’s strength. We faced the 36th Separate Motorised Rifle Brigade of the 29th Russian Army, the 39th Separate Motorised Rifle Brigade, the 57th Brigade, the 91st Separate Rifle Regiment, and other units. The enemy had overwhelming superiority in tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, artillery, anti-tank weapons, and personnel. The overall combat ratio was nearly 1:9 in their favor. Any theoretical assessment shows that with a 1:3 ratio, the enemy has the advantage. Near Vuhledar, it was 1:9, which objectively explains the challenges of holding this position and maintaining the defense line in the brigade’s sector», — Okhrimenko said.
Unofficial reports of Russian forces occupying Vuhledar first emerged on the evening of October 1, with the DeepState project reporting that Russian flags were raised throughout the city.
By the afternoon of October 2, the Ukrainian Armed Forces confirmed their withdrawal from Vuhledar. The 72nd Separate Mechanised Brigade had defended the city during the full-scale war.
President Volodymyr Zelensky later endorsed the withdrawal, calling it the right decision.
«Without appropriate weapons, we cannot stop the Russian Federation. When they are destroying our soldiers’ positions, we must prioritize saving their lives, as they are more important than any building. These are our people, Ukrainian citizens. It was absolutely right for them to withdraw and save themselves for the sake of the state and their heroic service. These were the correct steps», — Zelensky said.