109 Russian soldiers were killed in action and an additional 188 wounded over Jan. 26 in battles around Vuhledar as the fighting intensifies near the village in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk Oblast, according to Serhii Cherevatyi, spokesperson for the Eastern Operational Command of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
"Fierce fighting is ongoing," Cherevatyi said in comments to Ukrinform on Jan. 27. "The enemy is indeed trying to achieve an intermediate success there, but thanks to the efforts of our defenders, they are unsuccessful."
45 kilometers southwest of the occupied regional capital of Donetsk, the village of Vuhledar is located at the strategic intersection between the east-west contact line going through Zaporizhzhia, and the north-south front stretching north towards the embattled city of Bakhmut.
Over the past week, both the Russian defense ministry and military bloggers have claimed to have made advances along the Zaporizhzhia front line, both near Vuhledar and near Orikhiv.
The Ukrainian military has denied losing any territory while acknowledged the uptick in intensity.
Ukraine's Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said on Jan. 25 that fierce battles were taking place in the Bakhmut and Vuhledar directions as Russian troops were increasing pressure.
In its daily intelligence briefing, the U.K. defense ministry said it was "highly unlikely" Russia has made any significant progress in the area.
"There is a realistic possibility that Russian military sources are deliberately spreading misinformation in an effort to imply that the Russian operation is sustaining momentum," read the report.
