Russian troops may have lost dozens of armored vehicles during a failed attack on the town of Vugledar in eastern Ukraine, according to Britain’s Ministry of Defense, which confirmed Russia’s rapid advance north of Bakhmut, Reuters reported.

Some of the bloodiest fighting of the war has taken place near the Ukrainian-controlled town of Vugledar, located at a strategic crossroads between the eastern and southern front lines, as Russian forces continue their offensive on Ukraine’s eastern front.

“Russian forces are believed to have fled and abandoned at least 30 largely intact armored vehicles in one incident after a botched assault,” Britain’s Ministry of Defense said in its daily progress report on the war launched by Russia on February 24 last year.

Russian military bloggers, who often criticize the approach of the Russian army command to the war in Ukraine, confirmed the losses of Russian troops near Vugledar. According to one of the bloggers, 31 armored vehicles were allegedly destroyed by Ukrainian drones after the unit that included these vehicles entered the battle without artillery cover.

“Disaster on the way”

Also, according to Gray Zone, the semi-official Telegram channel of the Russian paramilitary group “Wagner”, “a catastrophe is unfolding around Vugledar, which is repeated over and over again.” Blaming in turn the incompetence of the high command of the Russian army, another Russian military blogger notes that “these people destroyed a significant number of people and equipment, without bringing responsibility for it, and then, with the same mediocrity, launched an assault.” on Ugledar”.

The Ministry of Defense of Russia did not comment on these reports, noting only that the military operations to capture the cities of Vugledar and Bakhmut are progressing well. Over the past month, Russian troops have been gradually advancing in the area, in particular, they managed to capture the town of Soledar, which allowed them to advance to Bakhmut from the north as well, not just from the east. After months of static artillery battles, Russian troops succeeded in encircling Bakhmut.

According to the British Ministry of Defence, between Tuesday and Thursday, Russian forces advanced 2-3 kilometers north of Bakhmut, a relatively rapid advance considering that the front lines have hardly changed in months and now threaten the main access road to Bakhmut from the west. In addition, despite the loss of dozens of armored vehicles and important personnel in that unsuccessful attack near Ugledar, Russian troops advanced in the direction of this settlement, the Ministry of Defense in London also notes.

According to Denys Pushylin, a pro-Russian leader in Donetsk, quoted by the AFP and EFE agencies, the Ukrainian army transferred significant reserves of soldiers and equipment to Vugledar.

“We settled in the southern part, on the outskirts of the city. The enemy continues to transfer reserves in large quantities, and this slows down the liberation of the city,” an official appointed by Moscow in Donetsk told the media. As for Bakhmut, he claims that Russian troops have semi-surrounded the city from the north, south and east and control three of the four entrances to it.

Ukraine is now preparing for another major Russian offensive almost a year after the invasion began. According to some Ukrainian officials, this offensive has already begun, they noted the intensification of the actions of the Russian army at the front in the eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk regions. To the question of Ukrainian television, whether a new Russian offensive has begun, the Ukrainian governor of the Donetsk region, Pavlo Kyrylenko, answered: “Yes, definitely!”

Also, according to Ukrainian officials, the Russian army now has about 300,000 troops for the campaign against Ukraine, more than the 150,000 to 200,000 who took part in the offensive to start the invasion, and Russian President Vladimir Putin wishes success on the battlefield a year from now. Since. (Source: Agerpres)