09 Oct: Russian Losses Mount at Vuhledar as Ukrainians Escape Through Open Corridor - Reporting from Ukraine

Last edited Wed Oct 9, 2024, 12:13 AM - Edit history (1)

Today, the biggest developments come from the Vuhledar direction.

Here, Russians tried desperately to fully close their encirclement and capture the entire Ukrainian contingent in Vuhledar, but were forced to engage in intense urban fighting and go through the town instead of around it. Ukrainians also set up a new line of defense, leaving Russians to be stuck in the soon-to-arrive autumn mud after having won a bitter victory.

As Russians had crossed the river from the west and advanced on Vuhledar’s eastern flanks from Vodiane, Russians were close to taking the town into complete encirclement, trapping Ukrainian forces inside. Russians were targeting the only Ukrainian supply lines into the city with drones and artillery strikes as well, severely deteriorating the situation for Ukrainian defenders. The only options left for Ukrainians were either to push Russians out of Vuhledar’s flanks and reestablish ground lines of communication with the town, or for the Ukrainian 72nd mechanized brigade to conduct a withdrawal.

Pushing Russian forces out of their attempted encirclement of Vuhledar was a significant challenge for Ukraine. The Ukrainian brigades on Vuhledar’s flanks were largely unmechanized, lacking the necessary firepower to launch a direct assault on Russian positions. Western weapon deliveries were limited and needed to be prioritized for other areas of the front, and Ukraine couldn’t divert mechanized units from those sectors to reinforce Vuhledar. Ukrainian soldiers reported that Russian Spetsnaz special forces and specialized drone units were supporting the infantry assaults on Vuhledar, attacking from three sides and maintaining constant artillery fire. With compromised supply lines and increasing pressure, the Ukrainians' only option was to withdraw from the town. They prioritized saving the veteran 72nd mechanized brigade over holding Vuhledar, which had already been reduced to ruins.

The Ukrainian rifle brigades and battalions on the flanks, skilled in defensive operations, were assigned to hold the line against Russian forces attempting to fully encircle Vuhledar. If we look at the topographic map, we can see that the Russians had to cross multiple gullies, lowlands, and rivers to complete the encirclement. Meanwhile, the Ukrainians held the high ground on the opposing hill ridges, giving them an advantage in repelling Russian attacks. They also maintained control over the western part of coal mine number three to prevent the Russians from advancing along the ridge toward Bohoiavlenka, which would have jeopardized the rescue operation.

Ukrainians released numerous videos showing their successful defense against Russian mechanized attacks on Vuhledar’s eastern flanks, where they destroyed many Russian infantry fighting vehicles using FPV drones. One video showed a Russian BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicle attempting to assault Ukrainian positions on the western flank. Ukrainian forces responded with their own BMP-2, opening fire and killing the Russian crew. The footage concludes with Ukrainian soldiers capturing the Russian vehicle and driving it back to their lines, waving a Ukrainian flag to avoid being mistaken for the enemy. The original uncensored combat footage of the Russian-Ukrainian BMP duel can be found on our Telegram channel through the link in the description.

As Ukrainians retreated from Vuhledar, Russian drone footage showed them targeting Ukrainian vehicles used in the evacuation. However, most strikes were on stationary targets, suggesting Ukrainian troops had already evacuated into the tree lines. When the footage showed strikes on moving Ukrainian vehicles, it pixelated and cut out before impact, indicating Ukrainians were using electronic warfare to disrupt Russian drone attacks. Russians also targeted Ukrainian evacuation routes with nighttime artillery barrages, attempting to hit troops moving undetected through the tree lines. Despite these efforts, Russians were unable to fully encircle Vuhledar due to strong Ukrainian resistance on the flanks and the logistical challenge of having their nearest supply hubs 18 to 30 kilometers away, with no hardened roads for easier access.

By October 1st, it was evident that Ukrainian forces had completed their withdrawal from Vuhledar. Russians quickly moved in, posting numerous videos of raising Russian and Soviet flags on the town’s buildings. In response, the Ukrainian 72nd Mechanized Brigade, which had defended...