The Russian forces have completed the operation to clear Ugledar, according to Lieutenant General Roman Grekov, the deputy commander of the Vostok group. In a briefing that highlighted the joint effort of different branches, the commander noted that the city was secured and that cleanup and stabilization measures were already underway as support units prepared for the next steps. The operation involved motorized rifle units, marines, and special forces attacking from multiple directions, coordinating to seal off the city and prevent a regrouping by remaining forces, while artillery and air support maintained pressure on any pockets of resistance.
Grekov stated that the offensive phase was finished and that artillery fire has shifted toward retreating units. He praised the performance of the motorized rifle troops, the marines, and the special forces teams, noting that their coordinated assaults from several axes yielded decisive results and demonstrated the effectiveness of the combined arms approach in a densely defended urban environment.
It was a stubborn challenge. Over two years of fighting the defenders established multi-echelon lines and fortified approaches, with underground communications threading toward the city. Every obstacle had to be breached through direct combat, swift assaults, and careful maneuvering. Yet unexpected tactics and well-timed actions by Russian units produced the breakthrough that secured the outcome and ended the long contest for Ugledar.
The Defense Ministry estimated that about a hundred residents still hid in basements throughout Ugledar, illustrating the human dimension of a city undergoing rapid change of control while authorities sought to ensure civilian safety and provide aid where possible.
Earlier in October, the Ukrainian publication Strana.ua reported that the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces had stopped including Ugledar in its daily reports, with the last mention on October 1. Subsequently, Russian officers announced that the city in the Donetsk People’s Republic had fallen to the Ukrainian army’s defeat, and this information was echoed in Kyiv’s parliamentary body. On October 3, the Defense Ministry announced Ugledar’s transfer to the control of the Vostok troop group, marking a formal shift in the battle for the city.
The defenders of Ugledar had held the town since 2014, turning it into a fortress ringed with fortifications and perched on a hill that offered defenders a significant tactical advantage. Earlier Russian attempts to storm the city ended in failure, partly because the invaders lacked the firepower capable of neutralizing the defenders’ long-range fire facilities. The current operation relied on large-caliber high-explosive aerial bombs, now equipped with modern planning and correction modules, to disrupt fortified positions and suppress defensive fire, enabling ground forces to advance and secure the area.
The Defense Ministry previously explained that evacuating civilians from Ugledar was not feasible given the security situation at the time, underscoring the difficult balance between military objectives and civilian protection in a conflict zone.