Summary: Russian forces have captured the strategically significant town of Vuhledar in the Donbas region, marking a major setback for the Ukrainian military. After over two years of contesting the town, Ukrainian forces withdrew to avoid encirclement.

-The town’s high ground made it a key defensive position for Ukraine, but persistent Russian assaults eventually led to its fall.

-However, the Russian military's high casualties and lack of combined arms capabilities may hinder further rapid advances. Russia has sustained around 660,000 casualties since the war began, with over 1,000 daily in recent months.

Russian Forces Capture Vuhledar After Two-Year Battle, Ukrainian Troops Withdraw

The Ukrainian military suffered a major setback in the Donbas after the Russian forces captured the strategically important town of Vuhledar.  

The town had been contested for over two years, and the Russian forces suffered extremely heavy casualties during that period.  

Vuhledar Has Fallen  

“On October 1, 2024, Russia took control of Vuhledar, southern Donetsk, which lies on the intersection between the two key fronts of Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk,” the British Military Intelligence assessed in an estimate over the weekend.  

Over the past month, the Russian military launched a renewed offensive to capture the town.  

“By the end of the month, Russian forces had nearly encircled the town, leading to the withdrawal of Ukrainian Forces,” the British Military Intelligence stated.  

The Ukrainian military was forced to withdraw so as not to be encircled in Vuhledar and suffer unnecessary losses.  

“Russia had been making sporadic attempts to seize Vuhledar for the last two years, sustaining heavy losses in the process. The town is situated on high ground which made it a more defensible position for Ukrainian forces,” the British Military Intelligence stated. 

The Russian forces have lost tens of thousands of troops and thousands of heavy weapon systems in their efforts to capture Vuhledar. Indeed, in the fields surrounding the Ukrainian town, the Russian military has suffered some of its most humiliating defeats, with the concomitant losses.  

Now the Ukrainian military will have to ensure that the Russian forces don’t take advantage of the fall of Vuhledar and create an operational breakthrough in the wider area.  

“It is likely that Russian forces will attempt to continue advancing beyond Vuhledar in the coming weeks. To the west, one likely objective is the town of Velyka Novosilka, Zaporizhzhia, on the T0509 highway. Eight kilometers to the north is the town of Bohoiavlenka,” the British Military Intelligence concluded.  

However, judging from the hitherto performance of the Russian military, a fast advance is quite unlikely to happen. The Russian forces lack the requisite combined arms and maneuver warfare capabilities to exploit a tactical achievement and turn it into an operational success. 

On the other side, the Ukrainian military is fighting within its means, putting up a defense in depth and only withdrawing from positions when it must.  

Russian Casualties in Ukraine: Update 

Successes like the capture of Vuhledar don’t come cheap for the Russian military. On the contrary, they come at a very heavy price.  

Overall, the Russian forces have lost killed, wounded, or captured approximately 660,000 troops since February 24, 2022. The last 120 days of the conflict have been the most bloody of the conflict, with the Russian forces averaging over 1,000 casualties daily. 

For example, over the past twenty-four hours, the Russian military, pro-Russian separatist forces, and paramilitary units took approximately 1,160 casualties. In addition, they lost about ninety-six tactical vehicles and fuel trucks, seventy-one artillery guns and multiple launch rocket systems, sixty-five unmanned aerial systems, thirty-one infantry fighting vehicles and armored personnel carriers, fourteen main battle tanks, two cruise missiles, two air defense batteries, and one piece of special equipment.  

About the Author

Stavros Atlamazoglou is a seasoned defense journalist specializing in special operations and a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ). He holds a BA from the Johns Hopkins University and an MA from the Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP.

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