On October 2, The Kyiv Independent news site cited information from Ukraine’s Khortytsia combat group confirming that its forces had withdrawn from the town of Vuhledar in Donetsk province.
“The high command has authorized the withdrawal of units from Vuhledar to preserve personnel and military equipment, and to hold positions for further operations,” according to a statement from the combat group.
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Ukraine’s 72nd Mechanized Brigade secured Vuhledar, the blocking point for Ukraine’s defense system south of Donetsk. Russia launched its first major attack here in early 2023.
Vuhledar has withstood several fierce attacks in recent weeks as Russian forces tried to surround the town. Local authorities confirmed that Russian troops entered Vuhledar on October 1, adding that fighting was still ongoing.
Vuhledar town in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine
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This frontline town is located about 50 km southwest of the Russian-controlled city of Donetsk and about 40 km east of the administrative border with Zaporizhzhia oblast.
Vuhledar is located north of a main intersection with one road towards the town of Kurakhove and one towards the village of Velyka Novosilka.
“Therefore, it is a key logistical point for Ukrainian forces protecting the southern flank at Kurakhove,” according to expert Federico Borsari at the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA).
The Russian Ministry of Defense has not mentioned Vuhledar in its daily battlefield report. However, Russian Telegram channels have released footage of troops waving Russian flags on ruined buildings there, according to Reuters.
On October 2, RIA news agency quoted a statement from the Russian Ministry of Defense saying that its forces had taken control of the village of Verkhnokamianske in Donetsk.
Russia attacks infrastructure
Ukrainian officials said on October 2 that Russia sent unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to attack infrastructure in Odessa province, causing damage to a grain processing facility and buildings in the border crossing area between Ukraine. with Romania.
The attack occurred in Ukraine’s Izmail district near the Danube River, Odessa Governor Oleh Kiper said on Telegram.
“Russia continues to wage war against grain and global food security,” said Oleksiy Kuleba, deputy prime minister in charge of recovery.
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Mr. Kiper added that the above border gate was temporarily closed due to the attack. According to officials, two truck drivers, including a Turkish citizen, were injured.
In Sumy province, Russian UAVs hit a transformer station in the north and damaged equipment, Ukraine’s Energy Ministry said on Telegram. The Sumy region’s power grid operator said the attack left more than 80,000 customers without power.
The Ukrainian Air Force said it destroyed 11 of 32 Russian attack UAVs launched overnight. Four other UAVs left Ukrainian airspace in the direction of Russia and 10 UAVs were disabled by the Ukrainian side.
Russia has not commented on the above developments.
Ukraine’s “new defense industry”.
Speaking at a defense conference in Kyiv on October 1, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky praised the country’s “new defense industry” for its remarkable growth in output to help fight Russian forces.
“In the first half of this year alone, Ukraine produced 25 times more ammunition for artillery and mortars than in the whole of 2022,” he said, adding that nearly 300 Ukrainian and foreign arms companies attending a conference in Kyiv.
According to the leader, Ukraine is currently capable of producing 4 million UAVs annually.
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Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said at a government meeting that half of the ammunition Ukraine uses on the front is produced domestically.
However, boosting production further inside Ukraine is complicated by the fact that the entire country is within range of Russian missiles. Despite the challenges, President Zelensky said the industry has achieved significant change.
“Years ago, Ukraine’s defense industry looked regrettably helpless. But now the industry is on its way to becoming a leading industry, at least in Europe,” according to the researcher. leader.
Besides long-range UAVs, Ukraine also produces Neptune anti-ship missiles that have been used to attack several Russian ships in the Black Sea. At the end of August, Mr. Zelensky announced the successful test of the first Ukrainian-made ballistic missile.