As Kyiv celebrates pledges by its Western allies to provide it with tanks, Ukrainian forces are facing a fresh Russian push in the Donetsk region, this time in the town of Vuhledar (Ugledar in Russian).
“Fierce battles are raging on the outskirts of Vuhledar,” Yan Gagin, an adviser to the head of the Moscow-backed Donetsk People’s Republic, said on Jan. 27.
Vuhledar is located roughly 30 miles southwest of Donetsk city, capital of the region of the same name.
In televised comments cited by Russia’s TASS news agency, Gagin claimed Russian forces had “gained a foothold” in eastern and southeastern parts of the town.
The Epoch Times was unable to verify the assertion.
But on Jan. 25, Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar conceded that Ukrainian forces were under “increasing pressure” in both Vuhledar and the nearby town of Bakhmut.
In and around both towns, she said, “the intensity of the fighting is increasing.”
Russian sources say the capture of Vuhledar would cut Kyiv’s supply lines to the nearby town of Maryinka, from which Ukrainian forces frequently shell Russian-held Donetsk city.
Last September, Moscow incorporated Donetsk—and three other regions of Ukraine—into the Russian Federation. Kyiv and its allies reject the move, which they view as an illegal land grab by Russia.
Kyiv Concedes Loss of Soledar
The latest push on Vuhledar follows a string of recent Russian successes elsewhere in the Donetsk region.In mid-January, the Kremlin announced that its forces had decisively captured the town of Soledar, known for its expansive salt mines.
Earlier this week, Ukrainian officials finally admitted that Soledar was in Russian hands.
“To preserve the lives of service personnel, the [Ukrainian] Defense Forces withdrew from Soledar,” Serhiy Cherevatyi, a Ukrainian military spokesman, told state media on Jan. 25.
The fall of Soledar has allowed Russian forces to partially encircle the strategic town of Bakhmut, which sits roughly 5 miles to the southwest.
A vital Ukrainian transit hub, Bakhmut (Artyomovsk in Russian) has remained the scene of fierce fighting for the past several months.
According to military experts, the loss of Bakhmut would disrupt Kyiv’s supply lines and pave the way for a further Russian advance on key Ukrainian positions to the north and northwest.
Russian forces now claim they control all but one major artery leading into Bakhmut. Officials in Kyiv say the claims are exaggerated.
The Wagner Group, a paramilitary organization directed by the Kremlin, has played a central role in Russia’s recent gains in Donetsk.
On Jan. 26, the United States formally designated the Wagner Group a “transnational criminal organization” and froze all its stateside assets.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, for his part, said Washington had provided “no evidence” of any criminal wrongdoing by the group.
“As a rule, such statements from Washington are unfounded,” Peskov told reporters on Jan. 27. “Nothing has been presented to the public.”
Russia Launches Fresh Wave of Strikes
On Jan. 26, Russian forces carried out a fresh wave of missile and drone strikes across Ukraine, which, according to Kyiv, killed a dozen people and left several buildings in ruins.Since October, Russian forces have carried out frequent attacks on Ukrainian energy facilities, causing blackouts and energy disruptions.
Kyiv says the strikes target civilians and should be viewed as “war crimes.” Moscow says it uses high-precision weapons to avoid killing civilians and that the strikes serve a purely military purpose.
The latest wave came a day after the White House announced plans to provide the Ukrainian military with 31 M1 Abrams tanks, despite reported misgivings by the Pentagon.
The move coincided with a similar pledge by Germany, following weeks of diplomatic wrangling, to supply Ukraine with 14 advanced Leopard 2 tanks.
Berlin also gave a green light for third countries to re-export their own German-made Leopards, which are widely used by NATO-aligned armies.
Other countries now willing to send tanks to Ukraine include France, Poland, Norway, and Slovakia.
As of Jan. 27, Kyiv’s Western allies had collectively pledged roughly 150 tanks, according to a tally by Reuters.
The UK started the trend in mid-January when it promised to give the Ukrainian military 14 Challenger 2 battle tanks and other offensive equipment.
Alex Chalk, UK minister of state for defense procurement, has said he hopes to see the British-made Challengers delivered to Ukraine by the end of March.
After Tanks, Kyiv Eyes Warplanes
U.S. President Joe Biden, meanwhile, has said the promised tanks pose “no offensive threat” to Russia and are merely intended to help Ukrainian forces “improve their ability to maneuver.”The Kremlin, however, takes a different view, describing the move as a further sign of the West’s “direct involvement” in the conflict.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump, who will seek another four-year term in 2024, also chimed in on the issue.
“First come the tanks, then come the nukes,” Trump warned in a Jan. 26 post on his Truth Social media platform.
He added: “Get this crazy war ended, now. So easy to do!”
Commenting on Trump’s assertions, Kremlin spokesman Peskov said on Jan. 27: “One can agree with this remark because tensions are really escalating.”
Meanwhile, no sooner had Washington and Berlin promised tanks than officials in Kyiv began calling for Western-made fighter aircraft.
“The next big hurdle now will be [obtaining] fighter jets,” Yuriy Sak, an adviser to Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov, said on Jan. 25.
“It’s not just F-16s,” he said. “Fourth-generation aircraft—that’s what we want.”
