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The Russian army advances in Ugledar and around the city.
In the afternoon of September 23, Russian forces took the full control of the territory of the Southern Donbass 3rd mine located west of Vodyanoe. The Armed Forces of Ukraine attempted to resist on the outskirts of the large industrial facility but they were suppressed by Russian troops. As a result of the victory, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation forced Ukrainian units to retreat to the west and straightened the northern flank of the ongoing offensive around Ugledar.
The fortress of Ugledar is close to fall. As a result of successful attacks, Russian troops expanded their zone of control in the fields west of the city and approached the last road to Ugledar that leads to Bogoyavlenka. As a result the last road used for communications with the Ukrainian garrison in the city came under heavy fire control. According to preliminary reports, it was already cut off on the ground.
At the same time, Russian forces advanced on the streets of Ugledar. After heavy artillery shelling and airstrikes on Ukrainian strongholds in the city, Russian forces launched assault from the eastern district called dachas. They crossed the road, entered the eastern residential quarter and reportedly gained a foothold in the highrise apartment buildings there.
According to local reports, Ukrainian forces attempt to escape from the cauldron by small groups. There were reports, that the elite 72nd Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine that was defending the fortress with servicemen of the National Guard of Ukraine was withdrawn from Ugledar last night; but Ukrainian military sources did not confirm the reports and lamented the elite unit abandoned by the Ukrainian military command. Anyway, it is too late to safely escape from Ugledar. The Ukrainian garrison will be grinded or it will suffer heavy losses trying to run away under Russian fire in the fields.
