Commander of 72nd Brigade on withdrawal from Vuhledar: Enemy forces outnumbered nine times
Photo: Commander of the 72nd Separate Mechanized Brigade Oleksandr Okhrimenko (ukrmilitary.com)
Ukrainian servicemen faced a tactical encirclement during their withdrawal from Vuhledar, with enemy forces outnumbering them by a factor of nine, according to the new commander of the 72nd Separate Mechanized Brigade named after the Black Zaporozhians, Oleksandr Okhrimenko.
He stated that the situation in the Vuhledar area became extremely tense after September 27, especially on the flanks, making it impossible to hold the city.
"I want to note that I took command of the unit during a very difficult time: after September 27, the situation in which the 72nd Brigade carried out its combat tasks was very tense, especially on the flanks, which made it impossible to continue holding Vuhledar. It was, in fact, already a tactical encirclement—evacuating, resupplying ammunition had become extremely difficult," the brigade commander said.
Okhrimenko noted that reserves that could have arrived earlier were already under fire, particularly from large-caliber weapons.
The brigade commander emphasized that holding Vuhledar lost its strategic significance by the end of September due to changes in southern Donbas. Several Russian units, including the 36th and 39th Motorized Rifle Brigades, the 57th Brigade, and the 91st Rifle Regiment, opposed the Defense Forces.
Okhrimenko noted that the enemy had a significant advantage in equipment, including tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, artillery, and manpower.
"Any theoretical calculations suggest that the enemy gains an advantage with a force ratio of 1:3. Here, near Vuhledar, it was 1:9. You can objectively understand what the chances were of holding this settlement and the defensive line in the brigade's area of responsibility," he added.
Withdrawal of Ukrainian Forces from Vuhledar
Ukraine’s Defense Forces officially confirmed their withdrawal from Vuhledar on October 2. The enemy made every effort to capture the city, and during flank attacks significantly exhausted the Ukrainian troops.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called this decision justified and necessary to preserve soldiers' lives.
Arseniy Prylipka, press officer of the 72nd Separate Mechanized Brigade named after the Black Zaporozhians, shared details of the operation. According to him, evacuating the wounded was difficult, and the withdrawal from the city helped minimize losses as much as possible.
