The significance of Russia's capture of the Ukrainian stronghold of Vuhledar

NEWS WIRES

2 October 2024 at 8:35 am·1-min read

Russian troops took control of Vuhledar in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region on Wednesday, opening the way for Russian forces to advance toward other towns in the region. Both sides value Vuhledar due to its position on elevated ground at the intersection of the eastern and southern battlefield fronts, making it key to supply lines.

Russian troops are in complete control of the town of Vuhledar in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region that has resisted Russian assaults for more than two years, the SHOT Telegram channel and pro-Russian war bloggers said on Wednesday.

Here are some key points about the town and the battle.

What is Vuhledar?

Vuhledar – which means “gift of coal” – is a coal mining town in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region with a pre-war population of around 14,000 people, nearly all of whom have fled. It was built by the Soviet Union in the mid 1960s around a mine. There are two mines there now with significant coal reserves. Russians call the town, which sits on a flat plain and is comprised of high-rise apartment buildings and other structures, Ugledar.

Why did Russia want to take it?

Moscow says the Donetsk region is one of four Ukrainian regions it has annexed since 2022, a claim Kyiv rejects as illegal. Moscow saw taking control of Vuhledar as an important stepping stone to incorporating the entire region into Russia.

(Reuters)

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What is Vuhledar?

Why did Russia want to take it?

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