Around 110 civilians remain in Ugledar, Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), which was liberated by the Russian Armed Forces. The military is helping the citizens, announced the head of the DPR Denis Pushilin on his Telegram channel, quoted by TASS and News.bg.
"As for the civilian population, there are about 110 people there, the military is giving them all the help they need," Pushilin said in his video message. He added that later the relevant departments of the DPR will provide additional assistance to the remaining civilians.
On Thursday, the Russian Defense Ministry confirmed that Russian forces had freed Ugledar from the Ukrainian army. On the Ukrainian side, President Volodymyr Zelensky responded to questions about the situation, saying that Ukraine continues to demand long-range weapons from its Western partners, as without them the Russian offensive cannot be stopped.
Zelensky stressed that Russian forces were destroying Ukrainian positions, forcing fighters to withdraw for their lives. He added that these lives are more important than any buildings.
Russian troops reached the center of Ugledar on Tuesday, with the city having withstood numerous attacks since the start of Moscow's full-scale invasion. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine described the difficult situation on the front on Wednesday, but omitted Ugledar in its report.
Ugledar is of major strategic importance due to its elevated location and proximity to key front lines in eastern and southern Ukraine. In recent days, Russian forces have stepped up their offensive, and since August they have been advancing at the fastest pace in two years.
The American Associated Press agency published an analytical material examining the retreat of the Ukrainian armed forces from the strategically important city.