Russian forces take advantageous positions in Vuhledar

The Russian Armed Forces managed to take more advantageous positions in the area of Vuhledar in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), Lieutenant-General Igor Konashenkov, an official representative of the Russian Ministry of Defence, told reporters on Monday, January 30.

According to Konashenkov, the units of the Vostok group of troops caused Ukrainian servicemen from the 1st tank brigade to suffer a fire defat. The Russian military also attacked the 102nd territorial defence brigade near the village of Uspenovka in the Zaporizhzhia region, Konashenkov said.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine suffered total losses of 25 people in the South Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia directions, he added.

The department added that the Russian military destroyed two Ukrainian armoured combat vehicles, D-20 and D-30 howitzers, and a Gvozdika self-propelled artillery mount in those areas.

Earlier, acting head of the DPR Denis Pushilin said that the Armed Forces of Ukraine had entrenched themselves in Vuhledar and had not received an order to retreat.

He also said that the Russian military had entrenched themselves in the eastern part of Vuhledar.

On January 27, Pushilin's adviser Igor Kimakovsky said that the Armed Forces of Ukraine started redeploying units from Artemovsk (aka Bakhmut) to Vuhledar in order to contain the advance of the Russian army.