The military man told under what condition the AFU would leave Vuhledar.

The AFU troops will leave Vuhledar in the Donetsk region if they are unable to hold the defense in urban areas and if there is a threat to the lives of servicemen. This was reported by the head of the Council of Reservists of the Ukrainian Ground Forces, Ivan Tymochko, in an interview with Radio Liberty.

According to the military man, the enemy is trying to continue advancing on the flanks, where he found favorable conditions for advancement due to the lack of urban development and the ability to build fortifications.

Tymochko emphasized that Vuhledar is not currently in operational encirclement, but the Russian occupiers have some movements.

“The fighting around the city and the fighting for the city is very fierce. But it is necessary to distinguish between encirclement and fighting on the flanks,” Tymochko noted.

The withdrawal of AFU troops from Vuhledar will depend on the state of the city, the head of the Council of Reservists of the Ukrainian Ground Forces noted. If the city is destroyed, the urban areas are demolished and there is no possibility to build a quality defense, then possibly the troops will be withdrawn. If there is a threat to the lives and integrity of the military, they will probably also be withdrawn.

According to British intelligence, the Russian occupation troops will continue to pressure Vuhledar over the next week.

Analysts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) believe that capturing Vuhledar will not provide significant operational advantages for Russian forces for further offensive operations in the western part of the Donetsk region.

For two years now, the 72nd mechanized brigade of the AFU has been defending Vuhledar in Donetsk. During this Time, they have become exhausted. Currently, they are in a risky position as the Russian occupiers continue to advance north of the city. This assessment was given by Forbes analyst David Axe.

It was previously reported that the commander of the 72nd Separate Mechanized Brigade named after the Black Zaporozhians, which is holding the defense in Donetsk near Vuhledar, Ivan Vynnyk, was relieved of his post.