Ukraine’s Top Commander Orders Strengthened Defenses in the East After Vuhledar’s Fall

Ukraine’s armed forces commander, General Oleksandr Syrskyi, announced on Thursday that he has ordered an enhancement of defenses in the eastern Donetsk region. This decision follows the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from the town of Vuhledar.

Despite a surprising incursion by Kyiv forces into Russia’s western Kursk region in August, which was hoped to disrupt Russian advances, enemy troops continue to make steady progress in various sectors of eastern Ukraine.

Syrskyi shared on social media that he is engaged with the 25th Sicheslav Airborne Brigade in “one of the hottest front sectors.” Although he did not disclose the specific location, this brigade operates within the Pokrovsk front, which has recently seen an uptick in Russian assaults.

During his engagement with the brigade, Syrskyi reported implementing decisions aimed at enhancing the stability and effectiveness of Ukrainian defenses. As the conflict enters its third year, Ukrainian troops primarily find themselves in a defensive posture. On Wednesday, the military confirmed its decision to withdraw from Vuhledar, a strategic coal-mining town that had previously withstood intense attacks since Russia’s invasion in 2022.

Ukrainian eastern military command explained that this pullback was necessary to avoid encirclement by Russian forces and to “preserve personnel and military equipment,” a tactic that Moscow has employed to gain control over other Ukrainian locations.

Currently, Russian forces control just under 20% of Ukrainian territory. President Vladimir Putin has indicated that Moscow’s primary tactical objective is to seize complete control of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

Throughout the ongoing conflict, Russian forces have been advancing westward at crucial points along approximately 150 kilometers of front in the Donetsk region, with the logistics hub of Pokrovsk being a significant target.

In its latest battlefield report, Ukraine’s General Staff noted that there were 142 combat clashes in the past day, primarily concentrated on the Pokrovsk front, with 29 reported engagements, and the Kurakhove front, which saw 27 clashes.