Valuable Vuhledar Vanquished

Ukraine suffers major defeat whilst Media looking in other directions.

Ukraine was in violent trouble whilst you were distracted by Iran’s missile attack and the American dock strike, or whilst you were a special human watching Julian Assange’s testimony.

“Vuhledar”, also known as '“Ugledar”, means "gift of coal".

It’s a major Russian-speaking mining town in the Eastern region of Ukraine known as the Donbas. It sits on the western border of the Donetsk Oblast which became the breakaway Donetsk People's Republic that was annexed by Russia in 2022.

Vuhledar is one of the most strategic points in the Russo-NATO War, and has been fought for since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Russia suffered some of its most embarrassing defeats there, but a change in strategy from frontal assault to encirclement, has given it victory in its fifth attempt.

Vuhledar is valuable because of its 187 metre elevation. Tall, thick, Soviet era buildings make it higher, and turn it into a fortress. Their view of attacking Russians, and ability to withstand bombs, was unsurpassed.

Its importance increases as a junction for roads and a railway supplying troops further away, that transport network the consequence of its vast coal reserves.

WHERE THE WAR GOES…

Please view the map, and note the four cities I’ve highlighted - Vasylivka, Dnipro City, Vulhedar and Toretsk.

Now that your familiar with them, let’s zoom in and add Zaporhzhia City in between Vasylivka and Dnipro (left-hand side of map).

The area south-west of Vuhledar will now be easier for the Russians to capture. Westwards, there are few defences in the fields of Zaporizhzhia Oblast. The distance from Vulhedar to Dnipro City, Ukraine’s fourth largest, is only 240km.

The Russians are likely to push along the Dnipro River, from Vasylivka (bottom-left corner) towards Zaporizhzhia City. Next to Vasylivka is Robotyne, a town not on global tongues despite it being the biggest graveyard as result of NATO’s “great offensive” towards Crimea in 2023.

North of Vulhedar is Pokrovsk which is as important as Vulhedar, and the next Russian target. So that its right flank is secure, Russia is first securing Toretsk.

5 weeks ago, I got frustrated at the propaganda of Professor Phillips Payson O’Brien, and wrote ‘The Battle for Pokrovsk’. I want you to open that in a separate page and read it for the first time, or read it again, because I could have written that today.

Then watch this military analysis from Dima:

The fall of Vulhedar is the biggest event since Avdeevka’s death in 2024.

It was obvious that Ukraine needed to withdraw yet its troops yet kept them there whilst unravelling Zelensky was on his American trip. That photo shoot of political strength got a lot of soldiers unnecessarily killed. Russia has yet to release a statement regarding the many it allegedly captured, but that will become a media victory on the home front, and a moral loss for Ukraine (more so if they were new ‘recruits’).

Vuhledar adds to Ukraine’s losing war hand, and is one more boot of pressure on NATO to enter peace negotiations. But the lives of Ukrainians are not as valuable as Israelis, and the USA will only be broadcasting its fake confidence in the build-up to its Presidential election next month.

RUSSIAN DEFENCE MINISTRY REPORT - 2 OCTOBER 2024

Russia claims 2110 Ukrainian casualties the past 24 hours.

In Liptsy and Volchansk directions, the Sever Group of Forces inflicted losses on formations of the 57th Motorised Infantry Brigade, 80th Air Assault Brigade, and 5th Border Detachment of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine near Liptsy, Volchansk, and Volchanskiye Khutora (Kharkov region).

The AFU losses amounted to up to 75 troops, five motor vehicles, one 122-mm D-30 howitzer, and one Bukovel-AD electronic warfare station.

The Zapad Group's units have taken more advantageous lines and positions. Strikes were delivered at manpower and hardware of the AFU 28th, 30th, 116th mechanised brigades, and 4th Tank Brigade near Petropavlovka, Kupyansk, Kruglyakovka, and Boguslavka (Kharkov region). One counter-attack launched by an AFU assault detachment was repelled.

The AFU losses amounted to up to 385 troops, two motor vehicles, one 105-mm M119 gun and one 155-mm M198 howitzer made by the USA, one 105-mm L-119 gun and one 155-mm FH-70 howitzer made by the UK, one 122-mm D-30 howitzer, as well as an Anklav-N electronic warfare station.

Seven ammunition depots were destroyed.

As a result of successful actions, the Yug Group of Forces liberated Verkhnekamenskoye (Donetsk People's Republic).

Russian troops inflicted damage on the AFU 24th Mechanised Brigade and 5th Assault Brigade near Konstantinovka and Chasov Yar (Donetsk People's Republic).

The AFU sustained losses amounting to up to 855 troops, one armoured fighting vehicle, four motor vehicles, one U.S.-made 155-mm M777 howitzer, and two UK-made 155-mm FH-70 howitzers. One ammunition depot was wiped out.

The Tsentr Group of Forces has improved the tactical situation. The Group's forces inflicted damage on manpower and materiel of the 32nd Mechanised Brigade, 68th Infantry Brigade, 12th and 109th national guard brigades, 112th and 119th territorial defence brigades have been hit near Shcherbinovka, Svetloye, Aleksandropol, and Kurakhovo (Donetsk People's Republic). Three counter-attacks launched by AFU assault detachments were repelled.

The AFU losses amounted to up to 630 troops, one armoured personnel carrier, one armoured fighting vehicle, five motor vehicles, one 152-mm D-20 howitzer, and one 122-mm D-30 howitzer.

The Vostok Group's units have taken more favourable lines and positions. Strikes were delivered against manpower and hardware of the AFU 72nd Mechanised Brigade close to Dobrovolye (Donetsk People's Republic). Two counter-attacks launched by AFU assault groups were repelled.

The AFU losses amounted to up to 110 troops, eight motor vehicles, one UK-made 155-mm FH-70 howitzer, and one 152-mm D-20 howitzer.

The Dnepr Group of Forces hit units of the AFU 31st Mechanised Brigade, 35th Marine Brigade near Malaya Tokmachka (Zaporozhye region) and the city of Kherson.

The enemy lost up to 65 troops, five motor vehicles, as well as one Anklav-N electronic warfare station.

Operational-Tactical Aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles, and Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Groups of Forces have engaged the energy infrastructure supporting the actions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Lugansk Task Force command post, clusters of manpower and military hardware of the enemy in 135 areas.

Air defence units shot down a French-made Hammer guided aerial bomb and 32 Ukrainian fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles.

In total, since the beginning of the special military operation, 646 aircraft, 283 helicopters, 32,590 unmanned aerial vehicles, 579 anti-aircraft missile systems, 18,471 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,469 MLRS combat vehicles, 15,463 field artillery guns and mortars, and 26,794 units of support military vehicles have been neutralised.