Battle of Vuhledar

The Battle of Vuhledar is an ongoing military engagement, part of the Battle of Donbas during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, around the town of Vuhledar in western Donetsk Oblast, near the de facto border between Ukraine and the Donetsk People's Republic.

Battle of Vuhledar
Part of the Battle of Donbas in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
Date24 January 2023 – present
(3 weeks and 2 days)
Location
Vuhledar, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine
47°47′N 37°15′E
Status Ongoing
Belligerents

 Russia

  Ukraine
Commanders and leaders
Rustam Muradov Nazarii Khiszak[1]
Units involved

 Russian Armed Forces

 Ukrainian Armed Forces

Strength
20,000[7] Unknown
Casualties and losses
Ukrainian claim:
~5,000 killed, wounded or captured
(155th Brigade)[8]
~36 Tanks
~130 Armored Vehicles (Approx.)[9]		 Ukrainian claim:
60 killed or wounded a day (December only)[1]
Russian claim:
200 killed or wounded (January 24-25)[3]

Prelude and prior skirmishes
Main articles: Eastern Ukraine campaign and Battle of Donbas (2022–present)

March–October 2022: Unsuccessful Russian assaults

In early March following the start of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Russian and DPR forces captured the town of Volnovakha and began cementing a siege on Mariupol, connecting with troops in Zaporizhzhia Oblast and effectively seizing much of southern Ukraine. In Vuhledar, just north of Volnovakha, Ukrainian forces prepared defenses, with Russia attacking the town on March 13 and 14.[10][11] The attack failed however, with the frontline stabilizing just south of Vuhledar through the rest of March and into early April. On April 6, Russian forces shelled a humanitarian warehouse in Vuhledar, killing two people and injuring five.[12] A Russian assault the following day saw fighting break out inside Vuhledar itself, but Ukrainian troops repulsed the attack by the end of the day.[13]

Three civilians were killed by Russian shelling in Vuhledar on May 2.[14] Russian and DPR forces also launched an offensive towards Vuhledar and Kurakhove on May 16, without success. Through June, much of the fighting was contained to drawn-out air and artillery battles near the town. One Ukrainian soldier was killed during these battles.[15]

Throughout much of July, sporadic shelling and the occasional offensive occurred near Vuhledar. Russia and DPR forces launched two assaults on July 12 and July 18, without success. On August 10, Russian forces heavily shelled Vuhledar and the surrounding settlements, and attempted to launch an offensive but failed.[16] Further offensives continued on August 27 and 28, albeit unsuccessfully.[17][18] Russian assaults towards Vuhledar continued over the following months with little success.[19][20][21]

October 2022–January 2023: Capture of Pavlivka and approach towards Vuhledar
Further information: Battle of Pavlivka

Russian forces launched a massive assault on Pavlivka, directly south of Vuhledar, on the night between October 28 and 29. The assault broke through Ukrainian defenses in the town, with Russian and DPR troops entering the southeastern portion of Pavlivka on October 29.[22] The Ukrainian general staff did not mention shelling of Pavlivka as per usual reports, indicating the town was wholly or partially under Russian control.[23] By November 1, battles raged for the northern half of Pavlivka, with Ukraine drawing troops from nearby villages to support those in Pavlivka.[24] On November 2, Russian forces struck civilian infrastructure in Vuhledar.[23] While Russia captured the town of Pavlivka, dissent grew among Russian soldiers as they suffered severe losses.[25]

On December 20, Russian strikes killed two civilians in Vuhledar and Torske.[26] According to Nazarii Khiszak, a Ukrainian commander on the frontline in Vuhledar, his unit managed to kill 11 Russians on December 27, and 400 within the past four days.[27] Other Ukrainian commanders in the area expressed concern about the stability of the town's defense, as local doctors received up to 60 Ukrainian casualties a day.[27] By early January 2023, Russian forces had made little progress in Bakhmut, although they did break through and capture the town of Soledar albeit with a heavy death toll. Ukrainian and Western analysts believed the assault on Vuhledar was to distract from a lack of progress in the Bakhmut metropolitan area.[28] In December, soldiers of Sergei Shoigu's Patriot (PMC) were spotted for the first time near Vuhledar.[29]

Battle
Residential building in Vuhledar, February 2022

The largest assault on Vuhledar throughout the war began on the night of January 24, 2023. On January 25, war correspondent Andriy Rudenko stated that Ukrainian troops had lost the first line of defence near the town, and withdrew to the city.[30] DNR spokesman Daniil Bezsonov claimed that the DPR's Kaskad Battalion had participated in an advance, along with members of the Russian 155th Naval Infantry Brigade.[30] Russian state media claimed this attack led to around 200 Ukrainian casualties.[30]

Localized offensives took place by Russian forces on January 25, although British intelligence assessed it was unlikely that these assaults were able to hold any ground.[31][32] The spokesman for the Ukrainian Eastern Command, Serhii Cherevatyi, claimed Russian troops fired at Vuhledar 322 times on January 26, with 58 localized battles taking place.[33] Ukrainian troops also repulsed Russian attacks on the western part of the town on January 26, although Russian forces consolidated some positions around the eastern half. Cherevatyi also claimed 109 Russian troops were killed and 188 were wounded.[34][35] That same day, Belarusian volunteer and activist Eduard Lobau was killed in action fighting near Vuhledar.[36]

On January 27, Russian forces bombarded Vuhledar with a TOS-1 thermobaric bomb.[37] In the following days, Russian forces suffered heavy casualties during the battle, with the 155th Naval Infantry Brigade taking the brunt of the losses.[38] By January 31, British intelligence claimed Russian advances in Vuhledar were unlikely to succeed going further.[39]

In early February, videos emerged from Vuhledar alleging to show a destroyed Russian column near the town.[40] A Russian assault around February 6 saw 30 tanks and other heavy weapons destroyed by Ukrainian artillery.[41] These heavy losses saw the main fighting units in Vuhledar become the 72nd Motor Rifle Brigade, comprised predominantly of Tatars.[41][42] The town's deputy mayor, Maksym Verbovsky, stated that Russian troops were attempting to surround the town from two sides, having advanced to nearby villages although being forced to fall back by Ukrainian defenses.[43]

A Russian offensive was initiated against the Ukrainian defensive line during the second week of February. On 8 February, an offensive of tanks, infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs), and infantry failed with large losses, including the loss of nearly 30 armored vehicles, IFVs and tanks.[44] The Ukrainian military announced almost the entire Russian 155th Naval Infantry Brigade was destroyed and Russia has lost 130 units of equipment, including 36 tanks. In the same announcement, they also claimed that the Russians were losing 150-300 marines per day in the battle.[45] General Rustam Muradov, commander of the Eastern Military District and of the Vuhledar offensive came under fire for the failure to achieve the objective.[46]

Impact

In February 2023, Deputy Mayor Verbovsky stated that Vuhledar "was destroyed", with "one hundred percent of the buildings damaged;"[43] fewer than 500 civilians, and only one child, remained in the town once populated with 15,000 residents.[47][48]

See also

References
  1. "'A day without dead Russians isn't a complete day'".
  2. "Smashed by Ukrainian Mines and Artillery, Russia's Winter Offensive Just Ground to a Halt Outside Vuhledar". Forbes.
  3. "Armed Forces of Ukraine lose first line of defence near Vuhledar". 25 January 2023.
  4. "Shoigu deploys his Private Military Company, which competes with Wagner Group, to war against Ukraine". pravda.com.ua. Retrieved 10 February 2023.
  5. Attacking Vuhledar, Russia previews new push to seize southeast Ukraine - The Washington Post
  6. Funeral held for Belarusian activist killed in Ukraine - The Washington Post
  8. Melkozerova, Veronika (12 February 2023). "Russia may have lost an entire elite brigade near a Donetsk coal-mining town". Politico. Retrieved 13 February 2023. Russian forces also were losing 150-300 marines a day near Vuhledar, Dmytrashkivskyi said. He estimated the brigade to have comprised some 5,000 soldiers in all, whose members had been killed, wounded or taken prisoner.
  9. Moscow’s Military Capabilities Are in Question After Failed Battle for Ukrainian City - The New York Times
  10. "Маріуполь – під шквалом російської реактивної артилерії, обстріли без упину. ВІДЕО". 1 March 2022. Archived from the original on 1 March 2022. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  11. "Зведення Генерального штабу ЗСУ за 14 березня: головне". Слово і Діло (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  12. "Ukraine: Humanitarian Impact Situation Report (As of 12:00 p.m. (EET) on 8 April 2022) [EN/RU/UK] - Ukraine | ReliefWeb". reliefweb.int. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  13. "Enemy firing heavy artillery on contact line, battles ongoing in Vuhledar and Marinka in Donetsk region". www.ukrinform.net. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  14. "Russian troops shell Vuhledar in Donetsk region, killing three people". www.ukrinform.net. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  15. "До сліз зворушливий пост дружини загиблого на Донеччині воїна з Тернопільщини". ПЕРШИЙ онлайн (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  16. "Оперативная информация о российско-украинской войне на 11 августа 2022 года — Генштаб ВСУ". The Page (in Russian). Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  17. "Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, August 27". Critical Threats. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  18. "Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, August 28". Critical Threats. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  19. "Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, September 28". Critical Threats. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  20. "Ukrainian Armed Forces repel Russian attacks and hit 40 Russian targets General Staff report". news.yahoo.com. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  21. "Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, October 8". Critical Threats. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  22. "Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, October 29". Critical Threats. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  23. "Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, November 2". Critical Threats. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  24. "Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, November 1". Critical Threats. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  25. "Russia's heavy casualties in Ukraine spark outcry and rare official response". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  26. "Occupiers kill civilians in Vuhledar and Torske, Donetsk Oblast". news.yahoo.com. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  27. region, Charlie Faulkner and Artur Chupryhin, Donetsk. "'A day without dead Russians isn't a complete day'". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  28. "Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, January 24, 2023". Critical Threats. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  29. "Shoigu deploys his Private Military Company, which competes with Wagner Group, to war against Ukraine". pravda.com.ua. Retrieved 10 February 2023.
  30. Ernilin, Petr (25 January 2023). "Russia prepares to entrap Vuhledar as Ukrainian forces lose first defence line". Pravda.ru. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  31. Sabbagh, Dan (2 February 2023). "Russian forces could regain initiative as Ukraine war drags on". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  32. "Russians lie about successes near Vuhledar and Orikhiv British intelligence". news.yahoo.com. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  33. Service, RFE/RL's Ukrainian. "Russians Launch Deadly Strike On Donetsk City As Fierce Fighting Rages In East". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  34. Herasimova, Tanya (27 January 2023). "During Yesterday's Assault on Vuhledar, More Than 100 Occupiers Killed - Cherevatyi". Ukranews. Retrieved 7 February 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  35. Vasilyeva, Nataliya; Barnes, Joe (27 January 2023). "'Hundreds' of Russian soldiers dying in battle for strategic Ukrainian town". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  36. "Funeral held for Belarusian activist killed in Ukraine". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  37. "Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, January 27, 2023". Critical Threats. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  38. Axe, David. "Russian Marines Just Attempted Another Frontal Assault On Ukrainian Positions Around Pavlivka. The Result Was Predictably Bloody". Forbes. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  39. "Major Russian assault in Vuhledar unlikely to yield breakthrough, UK says". Reuters. 31 January 2023. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  40. "Russian Armor Reportedly Repelled at Vuhledar". Atlas News. 7 February 2023. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  41. Axe, David. "Smashed By Ukrainian Mines And Artillery, Russia's Winter Offensive Just Ground To A Halt Outside Vuhledar". Forbes. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
  42. "Institute for the Study of War". Institute for the Study of War. Archived from the original on 25 March 2022. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
  43. Santora, Marc (5 February 2023). "Russia pushes to take Ukrainian town near a vital supply line". The Japan Times. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  44. Russia likely lost dozens of armoured vehicles near Ukraine's Vuhledar: UK, Reuters, 10 February 2023.
  45. Melkozerova, Veronica (12 February 2023). "Russia may have lost an entire elite brigade near a Donetsk coal-mining town, Ukraine says". Politico. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
  46. "Russian military commander Rustam Muradov under fire for failure in Ukraine's Vuhledar". EuroWeekly. 10 February 2023. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
  47. "Evacuation efforts underway in Vuhledar: One child remaining in city". www.ukrinform.net. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  48. Santora, Marc (4 February 2023). "Russia Pushes to Take Ukrainian Town Near a Vital Supply Line". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
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