Russian Forces Capture Ukrainsk, Vuhledar on Verge

Russian forces have captured the Ukrainian town of Ukrainsk in the Donetsk region, marking another significant territorial gain for Moscow's advancing troops. Meanwhile, the strategic town of Vuhledar is on the verge of falling to Russian forces, having been surrounded on three sides and subjected to intense assaults. Ukrainian defenses in Vuhledar, held for nearly three years, are severely weakened, and the fall of the town could imperil the southern flank of Pokrovsk, a key logistics hub. The rapid advances in Donetsk are part of a broader offensive that saw significant progress despite Ukrainian incursions into western Russia. Analysts cite troop exhaustion and delayed Western military aid as contributing factors to the potential loss of Vuhledar.