Russian Forces Seize Control of Strategic Ukrainian Town Vuhledar

Russian troops have taken full control of Vuhledar, a strategic town in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, according to pro-Russian sources. This development is significant for Russia's aim to annex the entire Donetsk region. The capture of this coal mining town comes amid ongoing conflict and devastation.

Russian troops are now in full control of Vuhledar, a pivotal town in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, according to pro-Russian sources including the SHOT Telegram channel and war bloggers, as reported on Wednesday.

Reuters has not independently verified these claims, and the Russian Defence Ministry has yet to confirm the town's capture. On Tuesday, a regional Ukrainian official noted that Russian forces had reached the town's center, a strategically vital area that has withstood Russian attacks for over two years.

The Russian government declared in 2022 that it had annexed four Ukrainian regions, including Donetsk, a move deemed illegal by Kyiv and Western nations. Vuhledar, a coal mining town with a pre-war population of nearly 14,000, holds significant strategic value. It lies at the junction of eastern and southern battlefields, making it crucial for supplying military operations on both sides.

Located near a key railway line linking Crimea—annexed by Russia in 2014—with Ukraine's industrialized Donbas region, Vuhledar has seen extensive destruction. Recent images showed Russian soldiers raising their flag over a heavily damaged administrative building, underscoring the toll exacted by the ongoing conflict.

(With inputs from agencies.)