Withdrawal from Vuhledar. The new commander of the 'Black Zaporozhians' explained why the retreat was not carried out earlier.

The commander of the 72nd Separate Mechanized Brigade, Colonel Oleksandr Okhrimenko, explained the reason why Ukrainian troops did not leave Vuhledar earlier. According to him, if the army simply leaves populated areas without offering strong resistance to the enemy, it may lose control over the country's borders. The Ukrainian Armed Forces command is trying to inflict maximum losses on the enemy to prevent their advancement into the state's interior, but when there is a threat of encirclement and loss of personnel, retreat decisions are made. Okhrimenko explained that the decision to withdraw units from Vuhledar was made after assessing the situation and was approved by higher authorities, but it was not possible to fully implement the planned stages due to enemy actions. He reported that currently the line of contact is stabilized, the enemy is halted, and combat missions are being carried out to prevent their advancement in the northern direction.

Okhrimenko also noted that the occupiers attempted to carry out assault actions, but his brigade stopped them. Several combat vehicles were destroyed, and the Russians suffered losses. Colonel Okhrimenko took command of the 72nd Separate Mechanized Brigade in early September with the aim of withdrawing the last units from the destroyed Vuhledar. Personnel rotations and the appointment of the new commander are not commented on, but it was done to transfer combat experience and withdraw units from the city.

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