The Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Colonel-General Oleksandr Syrsky announced today that he had ordered the strengthening of defenses in the Donetsk region after Ukrainian forces confirmed their withdrawal from the city of Ugledar, Reuters reported, citing BTA.
President Volodymyr Zelensky acknowledged the loss of Ugledar, stressing that the top priority was the safety of the troops. "The important issue is the withdrawal of the troops and the preservation of human life," said Zelensky.
The Russian-appointed governor of Donetsk region, Denis Pushilin, also stressed that both sides recognize the city's strategic importance, adding that efforts to rebuild it will take time.
Russian troops continue to gain territory in eastern Ukraine, despite Kiev's surprise advance into Russia's Kursk region on August 6, which Kiev had hoped would slow the Russian advance, Reuters noted.
Syrsky reported on social networks that he was on "one of the hottest frontline sectors" with the 25th separate airborne brigade "Secheslav". He did not specify the location, but the brigade usually operates around Pokrovsk, in the area of increased Russian attacks.
"While I was with the brigade, I made a number of decisions to strengthen the stability and effectiveness of our defenses," said Sirski.
More than two and a half years after the start of the full-scale war, Ukrainian troops remain on the defensive. Yesterday, the Ukrainian military announced that they were withdrawing their troops from Ugledar — an important bastion that has withstood intense Russian attacks in the past two years since the conflict began in 2022.
In the application of the Operational Command "East" stated that the withdrawal from Ugledar was done to avoid the encirclement of Ukrainian soldiers by Russian forces and to "preserve personnel and military equipment". This is not the first time Russia has resorted to such tactics to secure control over Ukrainian territories.
"The lives of soldiers must be saved because they are our people, they are citizens of Ukraine," emphasized Zelensky during the visit to Kyiv of the new NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. "That is why it is very right that they should be able to withdraw and save themselves," he added.
Moscow's forces currently control just over 20% of Ukraine's territory, and Russian President Vladimir Putin has indicated that Moscow's main goal remains the capture of Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
Russian troops continue their westward advance at key points along the approximately 150-kilometer front line in the Donetsk region, with Pokrovsk as the main target — main logistics center of the Ukrainian forces.
In a battle situation summary released later yesterday, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said the heaviest fighting continued around Pokrovsk. According to the information, Russian forces carried out 28 attacks against Ukrainian positions in this direction and another 23 attacks against the nearby village of Kurakov.