The withdrawal comes a day after Russian troops reached the center of the the strategic town. Meanwhile, China’s Xi Jinping told Vladimir Putin he was ready to “expand” cooperation.
The Ukrainian eastern military command said in a statement that it ordered troops to pull back from the strategic town of Vuhledar, in the eastern Donetsk region.
“In an attempt to take control of the city at any cost, reserves were directed to carry out flanking attacks, which exhausted the defense of the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine,” the statement said. “As a result of the enemy’s actions, there arose a threat of encircling the city.”
The announcement came a day after Russian forces reached the center of Vuhledar after two years of fighting over the hill town.
Control of Vuhledar holds significance due to its dominant heights and proximity to railway lines, which gives Russia greater protection for their own logistics routes and a better vantage point for attacks against Ukrainian forces. Its capture also brings Russia closer to the key logistics hub of Pokrovsk.
