Ukraine‘s armed forces commander, General Oleksandr Syrskyi, announced on Thursday that he has ordered an enhancement of defenses in the eastern Donetsk region, following the withdrawal of Kyiv’s forces from the town of Vuhledar the previous day.

Despite a surprise incursion by Ukrainian forces into Russia’s western Kursk region in August, which was anticipated to hinder Russian advances, enemy troops continue to make gradual progress in various sectors of eastern Ukraine.

Syrskyi shared on social media that he is focusing on “one of the hottest front sectors” alongside the 25th Sicheslav Airborne Brigade. While he did not specify the exact location, this brigade is active in the Pokrovsk front, an area experiencing heightened Russian attacks.

“During my time with the brigade, I implemented several decisions aimed at bolstering the stability and effectiveness of our defense,” Syrskyi stated. As the conflict enters its second year, Ukrainian forces remain primarily on the defensive. On Wednesday, the Ukrainian military confirmed its withdrawal from Vuhledar, a coal-mining town that had withstood significant assaults since Russia’s invasion in 2022.

Ukraine’s eastern military command announced on Wednesday that it has decided to withdraw from Vuhledar to prevent encirclement by Russian forces and to “preserve personnel and military equipment.” This strategy has been a common tactic employed by Russia to gain control over various Ukrainian territories.

Currently, Russian troops occupy nearly 20% of Ukraine. President Vladimir Putin has stated that the main tactical objective for Moscow is to capture the entirety of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

Russian forces have been advancing westward at critical locations along approximately 150 km (95 miles) of the front line in the Donetsk region, with the logistics center of Pokrovsk being a significant target. In its latest battlefield report, Ukraine’s General Staff indicated that there were 142 combat engagements in the past day, with the majority occurring on the Pokrovsk front, where 29 clashes were recorded, and 27 on the Kurakhove front.

Ukraine’s eastern military command announced on Wednesday that it has decided to withdraw from Vuhledar to prevent encirclement by Russian forces and to “preserve personnel and military equipment.” This strategy has been a common tactic employed by Russia to gain control over various Ukrainian territories.

Currently, Russian troops occupy nearly 20% of Ukraine. President Vladimir Putin has stated that the main tactical objective for Moscow is to capture the entirety of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

Russian forces have been advancing westward at critical locations along approximately 150 km (95 miles) of the front in the Donetsk region, with the logistics center of Pokrovsk being a significant target. In its latest battlefield report, Ukraine’s General Staff indicated that there were 142 combat engagements in the past day, with the majority occurring on the Pokrovsk front, where 29 clashes were recorded, and 27 on the Kurakhove front.