❗️Russian troops rescue wounded Ukrainians that were left in Ugledar to die.

Adding:

DONE DEAL: Ukrainian Armed Forces Confirm Withdrawal from Ugledar

The Ukrainian publication Strana reports that the Armed Forces of Ukraine have officially confirmed their withdrawal from Ugledar. According to Operational Command “Khortytsia,” Russian attacks on the flanks “exhausted the defense” of Ukrainian forces, leading to a situation in which the city risked being encircled by Russian forces.

Adding:

Soldiers from the 72nd Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces told the BBC about their chaotic retreat from Ugledar.

The fighters reported that their units left Ugledar without waiting for an official order to withdraw.

One of the two interviewees, a machine gunner, said that in the last few days, Ukrainian soldiers had to independently make their way out of Ugledar on foot.

According to the second interviewee, Roman, during attempts to leave the ruins of the city, many were killed or wounded by Russian drones and artillery, and many are considered missing.

In the last days of September, the Russians managed to approach from the west, getting very close to the only remaining road connecting Ugledar to the rear, through the village of Bogoyavlenka, leaving the garrison semi-encircled: Russian drones and artillery were shooting at anything that moved on this road.

"They tried to bring in supplies, sending evacuation crews to transport the dead and wounded, but it was unsuccessful. Several vehicles were lost, and after that, they decided to stop," Roman said.

When the Russians entered the city, Ukrainian units began to retreat without waiting for orders.

"When a retreat is not organized, chaos ensues—it's a natural rule of war," said the machine gunner.

He explained that some groups were disoriented because they lost radio communication, forcing them to make quick independent decisions, which often resulted in retreat.

Roman explained that their fortified positions were destroyed by Russian bombs, shells, and missiles, and in this situation, withdrawal from the positions was inevitable.

"How do you fight when you're left alone on your position, and you're being hit from all sides? Either you die, or you retreat," Roman clarified.

However, according to him, escaping from the nearly encircled city was extremely dangerous: any attempts during the day were equivalent to a suicide mission.

Mostly, Ukrainian soldiers tried to leave at night, moving through minefields following marked paths to avoid the road to Bogoyavlenka, which was under constant fire.

"Until recently, evacuation vehicles could enter under the cover of darkness with their headlights off. But once Russian troops reached the city center, the only way to escape was on foot," Roman said.

The soldiers criticized their commanders for not giving the order to withdraw from the city in a timely manner, even when it was operationally surrounded, and it was clear that holding it was impossible.

"I don't know what it was—fear of the commanders in front of their higher-ups, or an order from the top to hold on until the last drop of blood of the ordinary guys. None of us can understand it," the machine gunner admitted.

🐻 We have the answer for you Mr. Machine Gunner:

You were left to die, because it would be bad PR for Zelensky if he ordered a retreat while he was visiting your owners in the US.